


starboy

by gypsywillows



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Boys Kissing, Drunk Blow Jobs, First Time, Fluff, Grinding, Humor, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Masturbation, Riding, Rimming, Smut, Supernatural Elements, all fun and games though, idk how to tag, innocent!luke, luke is a star??, michael and calum argue a lot, sad!Ashton, this is just smut with a weird convoluted plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-03-15
Packaged: 2019-10-09 05:21:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 79,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17400809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gypsywillows/pseuds/gypsywillows
Summary: Ashton is quite miserable, so when his friends take him on vacation to cure him of his sorrows, the universe sends him a star made of innocence that is meant to be ruined.





	1. stellar

**Author's Note:**

> sooo this is gonna be kind of a confusing fic
> 
> basically the idea is that luke is a star from the sky in human form, and ashton is really sad and luke is kind of an outlet? for sex? i dont know lol maybe reading the story will make more sense of it. i just have a thing for innocent!luke i guess.
> 
> also i put dubcon because it kind of is throughout, until luke gets into it y'know  
> (this first chapter doesn't have any smut in it. it's more of an introduction)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A star quite literally lands in Ashton's hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's no smut in this chapter since it's all introduction but it'll probably start in the next. basically each chapter is gonna be an escalation to the next. so it'll start off pretty tame and innocent and it'll just get worse and worse ;)

Ashton's pretty miserable, to say the least.

There were a lot of days where his two friends, Michael and Calum, had to check up on him because of how concerned they were. Ashton wouldn't respond to texts for days on end, nor would he really move from his living room couch. Calum suggested maybe moving back in with his family, an idea that Ashton was vehemently against, so that option was out of the picture. Michael suggested maybe going on vacation to take some time away from the world, but Ashton didn't have the money.

So here he is, sitting on his living room couch surrounded by various wrappers and dirty dishes with the TV playing some sitcom that he's not paying attention to. He doesn't even notice Michael and Calum walk in until Michael says, "Dude, you  _really_ need to clean this place up."

Ashton glances up at his friend, his expression unchanged. "Seriously, these dishes are starting to stink up the place," Michael adds.

Calum sighs and sits down next to Ashton. He looks back at the TV, not that he was watching it to begin with. "Ashton, we're really worried about you. If you don't do  _something,_ you'll probably just rot away in this place."

Ashton turns to his friend whose brows are furrowed with concern. He sighs. "That'll be an ideal way to go."

Michael rolls his eyes. "Do you wanna end up in a hospital? You could rot in there instead." Calum shoots him a 'don't be an insensitive prick' look. He rolls his eyes again, and Ashton sighs again.

This is how it usually goes. Calum and Michael walk in, Ashton doesn't notice, they try to convince him to get up from his couch, and it usually results in them giving up and walking out of Ashton's apartment. It doesn't go anywhere.

But Calum and Michael are Ashton's friends, and they're not going anywhere, no matter how much Ashton tries to push them away. They're genuinely concerned about him, and he knows that, but he's just too wrapped up in self-pity and self-loathing that he can't bring himself to do anything.

This time, it's different.

"You know how Michael suggested you go on vacation or something to get away from everything?" Calum asks.

Ashton nods. "Well, Michael and I saved up, and we're taking you with us to the sunny Key West, Florida, whether you like it or not."

This time, it's different, because Ashton actually sits up (well, more like straightens his spine a bit). "You're joking, right?"

"As much as I'd love to joke around about going to Key West," Michael says sarcastically, "we're not joking. We leave tonight, our flight's at eleven o'clock."

Ashton checks the clock; it's four in the afternoon. There are dishes everywhere and he can't remember the last time he did laundry. How the hell is he supposed to pack and clean up when he only has a few hours before he has to leave for the airport?

He knows he can't back out, because they probably already paid for the tickets and the hotel room and everything. His head falls back against the couch cushion and he groans in frustration and guilt. He's swimming in a pool of both of them.

"Which is why we're gonna get this place cleaned up. Dishes and laundry are gonna be done, trash is gonna be picked up, and hopefully by the end of it your place won't smell like a complete garbage heap," Michael continues.

Ashton glares at him, but he can't be mad. He can't be angry when his friends saved up enough money to get him off his ass.

"Fine," he grumbles.

Calum stands up and points at Michael. "Okay, Mikey, you got the dishes. I'll start picking up trash, and Ashton," he turns to his curly-headed friend who is still leaning back against the couch cushions, "please get up and do your laundry."

Ashton attempts to get up. His back is stiff and his limbs feel like jell-o, but he's not about to let his friends' hard work and resolve go to waste. Calum reaches his hand out for Ashton to take, which he does, and pulls him up. He stretches, feeling and hearing his bones crack loudly, and it's slightly painful but followed by a wave of relief. Michael's face twists in discomfort. "Dude, when was the last time you moved?"

"I don't know," Ashton responds honestly. "Sometimes I get up for food."

Calum pats him on the shoulder and congratulates him for moving.

Since Ashton hasn't really moved in days, it's a bit difficult bending over and picking up all the dirty laundry littered on the floor. His bones continue to crack, and with each time they do he feels more and more relieved, but it's almost sickening how loudly they snap. He manages to scrape up every last sock, excluding the ones that are probably behind the couch somewhere, and shoves the entire basket of clothes into the washer. He almost forgets how to work it.

Calum fills up an entire bag's worth of garbage and Michael scrubs every single dish and utensil until they're sparkling. It's hard work, but it pays off in the end because Ashton's flat is almost unrecognizable when they finish, and it's only seven when they do. Calum sprays air freshener throughout the entire apartment, and now it doesn't look or smell like it did three hours prior. It's miraculous, Ashton thinks, that his friends did this for him.

Now he's even more guilty, but he doesn't have time to wallow because his laundry is almost done in the dryer, and he needs to pack them and other toiletries for a trip that he had no knowledge of. "We're already packed," Calum tells him. "Our stuff's in Michael's car. We're just waiting on you."

Ashton manages to smile, something he hasn't done in weeks. He found an old duffel bag and his old school backpack while he was doing laundry, and he throws a bunch his clean clothes into one and toiletries in the other. He's not really paying attention to anything he's packing; he just figures it'll all work out in the end. He makes sure to lock his apartment when they leave, since he hasn't really been doing that either and that's how Calum and Michael always get in, and they drive off to the airport that's about an hour away. Soft music plays on the radio, and Ashton thinks it's a nice change from the sitcoms he usually listens to.

It's nine when they get through baggage and security, and Ashton is starting to feel a bit better. They indulge in above-average airport food, which is also a nice change from Chinese takeout and pizza, and that's when Ashton really starts to feel better. He's smiling more, and his friends are there to smile with him.

"It's been a while since we've last seen you like this," Michael says with affection. "Hopefully this vacation will inspire you in some way."

Ashton hopes so too.

-

He's grateful that it's an overnight flight, because he wakes up to sunshine when they land and they have a whole day ahead of them. Michael is asleep next to him when he wakes up, and Calum is already awake in the seat next to Michael, silently reading a travel magazine. When Calum notices Ashton is awake, he leans over and whispers, "Would you be up for some snorkeling, perhaps?"

Michael is snoring lightly. Ashton giggles and says yes.

Michael doesn't even wake up when the plane jerks with the landing. Calum has to shake him awake as the plane slows to a stop. He wakes up with a jolt, eyes frantically moving around like there's been some kind of emergency. "We're here, you dingus," Calum says. Michael scowls at him.

Ashton can feel the difference in the air when they get off the plane. Even though they're still at an airport, it's a lot different from the one back home and a very pleasant change in atmosphere. Calum wants to stop at a gift shop and buy souvenirs, but Michael has to pull him away by the ear because "there are so many other gift shops around here, you idiot."

Turns out Calum had rented a beach house for all of them rather than paying to stay at a resort, and Ashton is totally okay with that. He prefers the privacy of a house anyway, and the beach is designated for residents only. They can also go to the nearby resort's beach because that one's public. In all, they have  _two_ beaches they can go to. Calum is jittering with excitement as Michael drives past palm trees and sandy beaches and trinket shop-filled boulevards. 

The beach house is mansion-like. Ashton gawks at it for a a long time while Calum and Michael remove their belongings from the trunk of the rental car. It's literally  _right next to_ the beach, built on a cliff that overlooks it. It's also pretty big on the outside with towering pillars and a fucking stone pathway leading up to it. All he can think is,  _what the fuck, guys?_

It's a lot cozier on the inside, which makes the exterior a lot less intimidating. It's a weird mix between modern and classic, but Ashton can't complain because it's a hell of a lot better than his dingy apartment. There's an electronic fireplace in the living room accompanied by a flat-screen TV and... a piano?

"What the fuck is this, guys?" Ashton blurts out.

Calum and Michael are unpacking things in the bathroom. "This house is actually an old vacation home my family used to go to. Belongs to my grandfather. Told him about your situation and he said we could have it for a few months," Calum calls out.

Ashton's jaw is hanging open. "A few  _months?_ " Why has Calum never told him his family owns a fancy-schmancy beach house? More importantly, why didn't Calum tell him they'd be here for  _months?_

There are glass doors leading out to a terrace overlooking the beach. It's right above a grassy hill that leads down to the sand, so close to the water that Ashton can hear and smell the salty ocean. Even further to his right, he can see what looks to be an observatory hill, complete with a plaque of some sort and two of those coin-operated binocular thingies. He'll have to check that out later.

"Well, what do you think?" Ashton hears Calum ask. Calum holds his arms out, motioning at the house. "It's definitely a good change in atmosphere, don't you think?"

Ashton wants to burst into tears, but he settles for running into Calum's arms and hugging him tightly. Calum lets out an 'oof' at how hard Ashton hugs him, but he laughs and sinks into the hug, patting his friend on the back. Ashton can feel himself tearing up, but he's really trying to hold it together.

"It's fucking amazing," Ashton murmurs. "Thank you, Calum."

"Anything for you, buddy," Calum says as he releases Ashton. Michael appears behind them, smirking.

"Dude, this place is fucking nuts. We could throw a wild party here if we wanted to," he says.

Calum looks to Ashton, who shrugs. "Don't see why not, if we meet some cool people while we're here," the Kiwi boy says.

Ashton's not really one for parties, but he doesn't mind them, especially since the house is definitely big enough for more than three people. There are two floors and Ashton hasn't even fully explored either of them. He's already blown away by the living room and balcony that he almost doesn't want to see what the rest of the house looks like in fear of actually passing out from shock. But of course, he does it anyway.

There are three bedrooms on the second floor and one on the first. They all have their own bathrooms that are fully equipped with towels and complimentary soap. They might as well have gotten a room at the nearby resort because this house certainly looks and feels like one. Ashton swears he can't get over what he's seeing.

"So, who's getting what bedroom?" Ashton asks once the group reconvenes in the living room.

"I kinda want the master one upstairs," Michael says. "But that's up to Calum, since it's his family's house."

"Nah, I don't mind. I've always slept in the smaller bedroom upstairs anyway. Ashton?"

He shrugs. "I'll take the one down here."

Calum and Michael look at each other, obvious concern plastered on their faces. "Are you sure?" the bleach-blond asks hesitantly.

Ashton nods. "Yeah, I kinda like it down here. I'll be okay, don't worry."

Calum purses his lips but then sighs in understanding. He rests his hand on his friend's shoulder and looks him in the eyes with worry. Ashton nods again. Calum drops his hand.

"We just don't want you to throw yourself off the balcony," Michael says, and Calum smacks him upside the head.

Ashton chuckles and shakes his head. "I wouldn't dream of it."

And really, he wouldn't. He wouldn't throw himself off a beautiful balcony with a breathtaking view that his friends allowed him to see. He could never do that to them, not when they work so hard to make him happy and active. He's really guilty and super grateful, two emotions that often go hand in hand when you have friends like his, and he wonders what he ever did to deserve them.

-

They decide to spend the day resting since they have months to do the crazy fun stuff. Ashton and Calum go grocery shopping while Michael sleeps in the king-sized bed of the master bedroom upstairs, despite having slept all through the flight and then some. They stock up on all the necessities, mainly snacks and alcohol, and Calum says he'll cook for them tonight. He says he can make really good spaghetti bolognese, and although Ashton has never seen Calum lift a kitchen utensil in his life, he takes his word for it.

Ashton takes a much needed nap when they get home, because despite not leaving his couch, he didn't really get much sleep back at his apartment. But he's able to fall asleep within seconds because the bed feels like he's laying on cotton clouds, and when he wakes up the sun is already starting to set. It smells like onions. Ashton emerges to see Calum stirring up a storm in the kitchen and Michael playing Xbox on the flat-screen.

"Seriously?" Ashton says looking at his friend hunched over, mashing buttons on his poor controller.

Calum is stirring the sauce for the spaghetti and Michael seems to be paying no attention to them whatsoever. His eyes are locked on shooting at nonexistent enemies on a 4K TV. "I told him he shouldn't bring his games, but you know him," Calum sighs.

Ashton sits down at the kitchen island. "Almost done?"

"Mhm," Calum replies. "Just a few more minutes."

"Smells good, Cal!" Michael calls from the living room.

Calum rolls his eyes and laughs. It's been so long since Ashton's hung out with his friends like this. He's not sure if he's even hung out with his friends like this. He'd almost forgotten how Calum's smile looks. He swears it can light up an entire room, hell, he's sure it can light up the entire house.

His spaghetti ends up being heavenly, better than any spaghetti dish Ashton's ever had at any restaurant. Michael wolfs it down like he hasn't eaten in weeks and Calum only watches and shakes his head.

"So what's with that hill with the binoculars?" Ashton asks.

"Oh, that? It's a memorial for some guy who founded this area. He really liked the view, I guess," Calum says. "The binoculars are kinda useless, since you can see pretty much everything around here with your own two eyes. But, the hill is great for stargazing."

"Really?" Michael says with a mouthful of spaghetti.

"Yes," Calum replies flatly, eyes narrowed at his friend's impoliteness. "The sky is almost always clear here, and you can see a bunch of constellations up on that hill. No one really goes there anymore though."

Ashton's really intrigued now. He'll definitely have to go sometime tonight.

Michael helps Calum with the dishes and Calum gives Ashton the task of picking a movie for them to watch out of the rack of DVDs right next to the TV. A lot of them are classics from the seventies and eighties, but Ashton settles for The Matrix because he likes seeing badass agents dressed in black in epic fighting sequences. He picks it out of the rack and sets it down on the coffee table. It's dark out now, and so is the house with the exception of the kitchen lights. Michael and Calum join him in the living room with a large bowl of popcorn.

As much as Ashton likes The Matrix, he wants to enjoy the oceanic view for a little bit, so he tells Calum and Michael that he's going to chill on the balcony for a few minutes. There are a couple lounge chairs spread out and Ashton settles into one, feeling the breeze tingle on his skin. He looks up and sees what Calum had been talking about earlier. The stars seem to shine brighter here, unobstructed by city buildings or foreign lights. He doesn't know anything about constellations, but he can see stars arranged in patterns that he's never seen before. It's exhilarating, seeing a sky like he's never seen before, despite living under it all the time.

Ashton's eyes slip closed, but he doesn't sleep. He just sits there and breathes for a moment, because for once, he's at peace. There's no self-loathing. There's no existential crisis that has him couch-ridden. There's nothing except for the stars and the ocean and the bright light—

It's there for a split second, Ashton can see it beneath his eyelids. He opens his eyes out of curiosity but immediately shuts them because if he kept them open for any longer he'd surely go blind. It's strange, and for a second Ashton thinks the beach may have been struck by a meteor or there's an alien lurking around the house somewhere, but when he opens his eyes, the blinding light is gone.

Well, not entirely.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ashton can see a large glowing orb on top of the hill with the binoculars. It's less bright, but it's still fucking weird that a light just appears out of nowhere, and Ashton starts to panic because there probably is an alien invasion going on and he's witnessing it.

The light undulates until it vanishes altogether, sinking into itself. It seems to snuff itself out, but in place of the light stands a person.

Ashton can't believe his eyes. They widen in shock and disbelief because to him, it looked as if the light just revealed a person because that person definitely wasn't there before. From what Ashton can tell, it's a man and he's holding something. But that's about all he can see.

He hurries back inside and rushes past Michael and Calum, telling them that he's just going to go for a little walk and that he'll be back soon. They look at him questioningly but pay no more attention to it as Ashton bursts outside and runs towards the hill.

It takes him about a minute to get there and he's out of breath by the time he arrives. The mysterious man is still standing there, dressed in nothing but a pair of gray pants that are torn at the calves. He's staring up at the stars.

Ashton approaches him carefully, trying not to make a sound, but it's as if the stranger hears him. The man turns around, and Ashton nearly jumps back. Under the moonlight, he can't see much of the stranger's features since they're hidden by shadows, but Ashton can see that the stranger is holding a box. He can also see that the stranger is tall and has curly hair that rests just beneath his chin, but he can't tell the color.

"Hello," the stranger says.

Ashton is baffled by what he sees. A light appears and disappears to reveal a person holding a box. Yeah, that makes perfect sense. And the person is talking to him. Ashton is frozen in place, though he doesn't know if it's from fear or shock.

"Wh-who are you?" Ashton asks.

The stranger looks just as puzzled as Ashton does. "I don't know."

Ashton straightens out a bit as the initial shock starts to subside. He takes a couple steps towards the stranger, who doesn't seem to be dangerous. If anything, he just seems hopelessly confused. He keeps his eyes on Ashton as he approaches, but he doesn't move.

The stranger's appearance becomes clearer as Ashton gets closer. He's blond, definitely taller than Ashton thought, and he thinks he can see blue eyes that match the ocean below them. The box he's holding becomes clearer as well. From what Ashton can tell, it looks to be some kind of jewelry box. It's smooth mahogany wood with an engraving on the lid, a symbol that Ashton has seen before somewhere. A piece of paper is sticking out from under it.

"What's in there?" Ashton points at the box.

The stranger looks down at it. "I don't know."

"Can I see it?"

The blond-haired man holds the box out to Ashton. He takes out the paper that's tucked under the lid and unfolds it. There's the symbol that's carved into the lid of the box printed in red at the top, along with a short written passage.

_"Innocence; it demands to be soiled, only to be rediscovered once again. With this gift, reclaim innocence that has been lost and salvage what is left of virtuousness."_

At the very bottom is a name scribbled in what looks like children's handwriting.

"Lucas? Is that your name?" Ashton asks.

"I don't know," the stranger says timidly. "Perhaps. I don't know."

Ashton looks at the stranger, confused, and tries to open the box. Though the note was easy to remove, the lid doesn't budge one bit. There's no keyhole or lock or anything. It's just a box with a lid and a symbol etched into it.

Where the hell has Ashton seen that symbol before? He knows he has.

"Where did you come from?" he asks. He's expecting the stranger (Lucas?) to not know, but to his surprise, he points up at the sky. "The sky?" Ashton questions.

Lucas (Ashton decides he'll call him that) nods. "I come from Praesepe." He's still pointing up at the night sky, where hundreds of stars twinkle brightly. "See? Right there."

Ashton glances up and can't see anything besides a bunch of stars. He's not sure what he's supposed to be looking at. He looks back down at the stranger, who's smiling widely. At the sight of Ashton's puzzled face, he frowns. "Can you not see?"

Befuddled, Ashton shakes his head. Lucas sighs. "It does not surprise me. A lot of humans cannot see it."

Ashton is taken aback. "Are you saying you're not human?" he asks, his reality crumbling around him. That's it, this 'Lucas' person is definitely an alien, he decides. He's thinking about making a run for it, but Lucas is looking just as confused as he is.

"I... do not know," Lucas says, sounding defeated. "All I know is that I come from Praesepe. I do not know where or who I am otherwise."

Ashton is utterly confused. First Lucas is saying that 'a lot of humans cannot see it,' and now he's claiming that he doesn't know where he is and that he might not be human. Lucas must be confused too. Out of the two of them, Ashton doesn't know who's more confused.

"According to this note, your name is Lucas," Ashton tells him. "I don't know what any of this means, though." He hands Lucas the note.

Lucas's eyes scan over the words. Good thing he seems to know how to read. "I do not know what this means, either," he says. He glances around the area, his face twisting with more confusion. "Where am I?"

"Florida. Key West. Ever heard of it?" Lucas shakes his head. Ashton isn't surprised.

He knows he can't just leave this weird guy claiming he's from the sky standing alone on a hill. If anything, he should really get Lucas some help in case he's some druggie who's having a really bad trip, but Ashton doesn't want to be responsible in case Lucas is thrown in the nuthouse and ends up being confused and miserable for the rest of his (seemingly human) life.

"Um, since you don't know where you are, I could take you back with me," Ashton suggests.

Lucas hesitates, but nods after a few seconds of consideration. "I think I would appreciate that."

Ashton doesn't even notice that he's still holding the box as he beckons Luke towards him to lead him back to the beach house. He really hopes Michael and Calum won't freak out on him for bringing a stranger home on the first night.

-

When Michael and Calum see Ashton enter with Lucas, they stand up immediately.

"Ashton, who is that?" Calum asks as Michael pauses the movie. Both of them look extremely concerned and worried, and if Ashton were in their place, he would be too.

"Um, his name is Lucas," Ashton tells them. "He's kind of confused."

"What? Are you saying he's a nutjob? And you brought him  _here?_ " Michael exclaims.

Ashton turns around to check on the blond stranger, who is glancing around the house like he's never been inside one before. He's pacing around as Michael continues to yell. "Why isn't he wearing a shirt? Who the hell even  _is_ he? And what's that?" He points at the box Ashton is holding.

Calum's eyes are locked on Lucas as he continues scoping out the kitchen and living room. "Look, I was out on the balcony when there was a bright flash, and then when I opened my eyes there was a ball of light on top of the hill and it disappeared and this guy," Ashton points at Lucas, "was left in its place."

Michael raises an eyebrow. "Are you starting to see things? Maybe we really should've had you admitted to the hospital," he says half-jokingly. "And the box?"

Ashton looks down at it. "I don't know. He was holding it when I found him. It won't open, but there was a note sticking out of it." He hands it over for Michael to read.

Michael's eyes skim over the writing and he looks back up at Ashton, bewildered. "This doesn't look like your handwriting."

"Because it's  _not_ my handwriting! You think I'd pull some kind of practical joke like this? Come on, Michael, you know me better than that."

Michael puts the note on the coffee table and snatches the box from Ashton. He attempts to pry it open, but alas, the lid doesn't move. "What the hell? This is some strong glue."

Ashton rolls his eyes. Michael huffs and gives up trying to open the box, only to notice the carving on the lid. "Isn't this the sign for Cancer?"

"What?"

"Cancer. You know, the zodiac sign?"

Ashton's eyes widen. "Michael, can you look something up for me? Look up, um, Praesepe."

"How do you spell that?" Michael asks, pulling out his phone. Ashton shrugs, and Michael tries his best to spell it out (he searches 'praseepee,' though he definitely knows that's not how it's spelled).

Ashton learns that Praesepe is a cluster of stars in the constellation of Cancer. It's almost always visible to the naked eye from February to May and it's one of the nearest to Earth. As Michael reads the information aloud, Ashton continues to stare at Lucas, who is still roaming around the first floor of the house with Calum's eyes watching him carefully. "Oh, and it's spelled P-R-A-E-S-E-P-E. It's Latin for 'manger,'" Michael finishes.

Though Lucas is obviously curious about his surroundings, he doesn't touch anything, which Calum appreciates. He runs his fingers along the kitchen island, but that's about it.

"Ashton, this is really weird," Michael groans. "I don't know what any of this means. I mean, I believe you, but at the same time I don't believe you. If this guy is for real, then he's saying he's from a cluster of stars. In outer space. Which means he's probably an alien and we're dealing with an alien invasion. Oh my god, we might die." He buries his hands in his hair.

"Lucas," Calum says, "what are you? Are you an alien?" Ashton hadn't even realized Calum was listening.

Lucas looks up from the kitchen island. "I do not know," he answers. "What is an alien?"

Calum turns his head towards Ashton and Michael with a panicked look in his eyes. "He's not even self-aware! He's definitely an alien. I'm calling the cops."

"Guys, stop!" Ashton yanks Calum's phone out of his hand and tosses it on the couch. Lucas is staring at all of them patiently. "Look, I don't know what's going on. If he's an alien, then he doesn't know he's an alien. I don't fucking know. I'm sorry that I brought him here and if he kills us all then blame it on me, okay? But for right now let's just try to remain calm."

Lucas takes careful step towards the group. "I do not know what you mean by 'alien,' but I can assure you that I am not going to kill you. You all have shown me great hospitality and I am grateful."

The three of them gawk at him. He's smiling a perfectly normal human smile, no fangs, no crazy eyes. They turn back towards each other. "He talks like he's from outer space," Michael mumbles. "He's like, way too formal."

Ashton looks back at Lucas, who is still smiling. "Lucas, why are you here? I know you said you don't even know where you are or who you are, but there's gotta be a reason why you're here."

Lucas thinks for a second, then says, "I do not know my exact reason for being here, but I believe it has something to do with the note you showed me earlier." He points at the note on top of the coffee table where Michael left it. "Perhaps it is a task of mine that I am here to fulfill."

Calum picks up the note and reads it quickly. "What does this even  _mean?_ Innocence? And what gift?"

"I'm guessing it's whatever's inside the box," Ashton says. "Though the box won't open."

Like Michael, Calum tries to open the box, but to no avail. He sees the Cancer symbol, though, and observes it curiously. Then he looks back to Lucas, his eyes inspecting him carefully. "Lucas," Calum says, "what's that mark on your wrist?"

Lucas lifts his arm to look at his wrist. "Oh, this is the symbol of Cancer. The constellation I hail from."

Sure enough, there's a red mark of Cancer tattooed onto Lucas's right wrist. "Well, if it's one thing we know for sure, this guy definitely has a strong affiliation with Cancer," Calum decides.

The four of them stand in silence. Calum rereads the note over and over and Michael reads more about Praesepe and Cancer. Ashton twiddles his thumbs. Lucas stands at the kitchen island, poised, with his hands clasped together at his front.

Calum groans and drops the note back on the table. "I can't make any sense of this note. If this dude's here because he has a task to fulfill, I don't know what that task is and this note isn't helping."

"Lucas," Ashton says, turning towards the blond-haired man slash alien. "I know there are a lot of things you don't know, but what  _do_ you know?"

As if Lucas was awaiting the question, he responds, "I know that I come from Praesepe, which resides within the constellation of Cancer. I know that I am probably on the planet Earth, where I know humans live. And it seems that I have become human myself. I do not know how that happened."

"And what were you before you, er, turned human?" Calum asks.

"If I had to guess, I believe I would have to have been a star."

Ashton stares at Lucas wide-eyed. Michael's jaw drops. Calum just looks perplexed and deep in thought, like he's trying to figure out a math problem. "So, you're saying you were a star in Praesepe and now you're human?"

Lucas nods. "It sounds like a very illogical and irrational explanation; however, I cannot come up with any others. If I was a star, I have no memory of it. I only remember opening my eyes and looking up at the very place I came from."

"Probably because stars aren't living beings and have no consciousness, and therefore, none of this shit makes any goddamn sense!" Michael says, his voice echoing through the house.

"If you have no memory of being a star, then how do you know where you came from?" Ashton asks. "And how did you know what it looks like?"

"I do not know how I knew that. I just knew," Lucas answers. "As soon as I opened my eyes, I knew what the name of my home was. I know that it is Praesepe, that is within the constellation of Cancer. And that is all of the information I came with."

"A built-in memory, maybe?" Calum suggests, earning a dirty look from Michael. "What?"

"Okay," Michael says, "let's say this story is true. Let's say Lucas here really is a star from Praesepe and he's magically floated down from space here onto Earth. A star, which consists of a bunch of gas and energy and what the fuck else, floating around in space, lands on Earth, which is probably a fuck ton of light years away, and turns into a human. Let's say that's what happened. Now, how the  _fuck_ is that even possible?"

Ashton's head is hurting, partially due to Michael's yelling, and partially due to the fact that his brain is trying so hard to come up with an answer to Michael's question that his entire body feels like it's shutting down. Yes, it's fucking impossible to answer Michael's question because there  _is_ no explanation.

"It's not," Calum says before Ashton can say it. "But at this point, does it really matter? Lucas just looks like another dude, star or not. I think what we should do is just accept that he's here and move on with our vacation. I mean, the house is big enough for all of us, right?"

Michael glares at him. Ashton knows Michael is the kind of guy who likes knowing why things happen. Michael doesn't like being left alone in the dark, and that's probably why he's so nosy all the time. But in the end, he sighs in defeat.

"Fine. No reason in trying to figure out an explanation that doesn't exist and probably won't ever exist." Michael shoves the box and note into Ashton's arms. "Since you found him and brought him here,  _you're_ responsible for him."

Ashton nods in understanding. It's a perfectly reasonable compromise. He signals Lucas to follow him so he can show him around the house, but he drops the box and the note off in his room first. Lucas stands in the doorway and watches.

"What is this?" Lucas asks.

"What is what," Ashton mumbles, not even bothering to form it into a question.

"This space. What is it?"

"It's a bedroom. It's where humans sleep," Ashton replies. Lucas hums, seeming to understand. "That's a bed, a thing that humans usually sleep on," he continues, pointing at his own queen-sized bed.

Ashton continues showing Lucas around the house, having to explain that what everything is and does. He expects it to be a game of twenty questions, but he gives his best explanations and Lucas seems to understand all of it. It's surprising to Ashton because one, if he is a star from outer space and has no idea what it's like to be human, then he's doing a pretty good job of grasping everything, and two, when Ashton really thinks about it, it's  _really_ hard to explain things that he's grown up knowing to a grown man.

At the end of the grand tour, Ashton heads back to his room on the ground floor and plops down on the bed, exhausted while Lucas sits down on the single arm chair and lets out a big yawn. "Is this a signal of sleep?" he asks through the yawn.

"Yup," Ashton says. "There's an extra bedroom upstairs. This here is mine. Although..." He trails off, springing up from the bed and unzipping his duffel bag. He pulls out a simple white t-shirt and some plaid pajama pants and tosses them to Lucas. "Put those on. They should fit decently, though you're a bit taller."

Lucas does as Ashton says and slips the t-shirt over his head. Ashton looks up to see him removing his tattered pants, only to see he's not wearing anything underneath. "Dude!" Ashton cries out, covering his eyes. "Warn a guy next time!" He makes a mental note to get him some underwear.

"Oh," Lucas says as he pulls the pajamas up. "I did not know. I apologize."

Ashton rolls his eyes and flops back down on the mattress. Though he'd taken a nap earlier, he finds himself even more exhausted than before. "Just... if you're tired, go to sleep, okay? Or shower, I don't care."

He thinks he sounds pretty mean, and he instantly regrets it. "I'm sorry," he adds quickly. "I'm just really tired and nothing is making sense to me right now."

"I understand," Lucas replies. "I know you told me earlier that a shower is used to clean oneself, but I do not know how to use it. Will you show me?"

And that's how Ashton winds up showing Lucas how to turn on the shower in the bathroom upstairs, explaining to him hot versus cold water, and he tells him to use the complimentary soap for now.

"How do I use this?" Lucas is holding a bar of soap in his hands, about to head into the shower. It's heating up and Ashton is sitting on the toilet because he's seriously worried Lucas might trap himself in the shower somehow.

"Get it wet and rub it on your body," Ashton says. "It helps clean you."

"Okay," Lucas says. He begins to strip off his t-shirt, but he stops and says, "I believe you should close your eyes now."

Ashton chuckles and does so. He hears the sound of clothes falling on the floor and the shower door opening. He opens his eyes and luckily Lucas is inside. The shower door is mostly opaque; Ashton can only really see a blur of Lucas's body.

"Hey, Lucas?" Ashton says. "Do you mind if I call you Luke?"

"Why?" Lucas asks from the shower.

"Oh, it's short for Lucas. I don't know, it's just a bit less formal, I guess."

"If it is easier, then yes," Lucas, now Luke, replies.

Luke finishes showering in five minutes, and Ashton is glad he remembers how to turn the water off. He throws a towel above the shower and instructs Luke to take it and wrap it around his waist. Ashton waits a few more seconds before Luke exits the shower, hair and torso dripping with water. He hasn't really  _looked_ at Luke yet, despite him walking around the house shirtless for the past hour. He's got broad shoulders and a well-toned abdomen, and Ashton feels really small compared to him.

Luke's really hot, he decides, and he doesn't know he's staring until Luke asks, "What do I do now?"

Ashton blinks and snaps out of staring at Luke's body. "Oh, um, dry your hair and body with this." He throws another towel in Luke's direction. Instinctively, Luke rubs the towel over his head and pats the excess water from his torso. Ashton watches, trying not to be noticeable.

"What is the purpose of showering?" Luke asks when he's done drying himself. Ashton takes the used towel from him.

"Humans get dirty during the day and if we don't shower, we smell bad," Ashton tells him. "Now, uh, I'm gonna step out while you dry the rest of you, and just put your clothes back on before you come out, okay?"

Luke nods and Ashton steps out of the bathroom, though he doesn't really want to. He's curious to see what the rest of Luke looks like, but he doesn't want to be creepy or anything. But it's not like Luke knows anyway, since he's just so innocent—

 _Innocent._ The word resonates in Ashton's mind as he thinks back to the note.

_"Innocence; it demands to be soiled."_

Before Ashton's brain starts to really register the meaning, Luke walks out wearing Ashton's pajamas once again, his damp hair clinging to his forehead. "I understand what you mean. I feel much cleaner now."

Ashton gets up from Luke's bed. "Are you going to sleep now?" he asks.

"I think so," Luke replies, settling down into his bed and resting his head on the pillow. He pulls the covers up over him. "It is strange," he notes, "I feel like I am adjusting quite quickly. It is almost instinctual now."

"Good," Ashton says. He switches off the light. "Goodnight, Luke."

"Goodnight—" Luke cuts himself short. "Oh. I never learned what you are called."

Ashton wants to slap himself because he literally just watched Luke shower and the curly blond doesn't even know his name, nor does he know Michael's or Calum's. "I'm Ashton," he says. "The guys you met earlier, the one with the blond hair is Michael and the one with the black hair is Calum."

Luke nods. "Okay, then. Goodnight, Ashton."

Ashton leaves Luke's room, shutting the door quietly behind him, only to come face to face with Michael and Calum. "Jesus!" he whisper-screams.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Michael says, his arms crossed.

Ashton starts heading back down the stairs to his own room with Calum and Michael following closely behind. "I don't know what I'm doing," Ashton replies, "but I don't think it matters at this point." The movie is still playing and there's still a faint smell of popcorn in the living room.

"Michael's just being difficult," Calum says. "Lucas seems like he'll be easy to get along with."

"Oh, about that. He's okay with us calling him Luke," Ashton says as he opens the door to his room. He turns back to his friends who are watching him with cautious eyes. "Everything'll be fine, guys."

Michael bites his lip. "I hope you're right."

Ashton smiles sadly. He really hopes so too. He really hopes that bringing Luke into their home won't change anything for the worse. After all, Luke doesn't know how to operate a shower for Christ's sake. There really isn't anything to worry about. He just hopes Luke adjusts to human life more, or they might have a huge problem.

Ashton says goodnight to his friends and closes his door. He leans his head against it, trying to recollect himself, only to remember the note and the box sitting atop his bedside table. He changes into his sleepwear and reads the note again, especially the one sentence that has him particularly intrigued.

_"Innocence; it demands to be soiled."_

Ashton can't help but think that the sentence is about Luke, since he's the walking definition of innocence, but if that's the case, what does that mean? That Luke's innocence is meant to be ruined? Ashton can't bear the thought of it. After all, he kind of likes seeing Luke so curious and unaware of things. But the note came with the box, the box that came with Luke. None of it makes sense. Actually, it's  _starting_ to make sense, but Ashton isn't sure if he wants it to.


	2. apex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke starts to get curious about more things. Ashton's more than willing to help out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tags to be added. honestly i feel like this is gonna be a long fic so... strap in i guess.

Ashton wakes up to the sun peeking in through the curtains. He checks his phone for the time; it's nine in the morning. He feels refreshed, that is, until he remembers last night's events, and he jumps out of bed and darts up to Luke's room. He knocks lightly.

"Yes?" Luke's voice calls out from inside.

Relieved, Ashton opens Luke's door to find the blond sitting on his bed. Just... sitting. The covers are folded back to the way they were when they first got here. Luke has his hands in his lap. "How long have you been awake?" Ashton asks.

"I don't know," Luke replies. "A few hours, maybe?"

"You know, you don't have to wait to leave your room. You're free to roam around the house," Ashton tells him.

Luke stands up. "I did not know that. I am sorry."

Ashton scoffs and rolls his eyes playfully. "Come on, let's get some breakfast."

Ashton expects Calum to be awake, but from the looks of it, his two friends decided to have a little party while he slept, as shown by the numerous beer bottles scattered across the living room carpet. He  _really_ doesn't want to deal with either of them hungover, so he prays to the stars that they didn't drink enough to get completely wasted. He thinks it might be insensitive to wake them up, but then again, they left him a mess to clean up, so he doesn't feel  _that_ bad.

He throws the empty beer bottles into a garbage bag and heads back upstairs to barge into Calum's room, where the boy is peacefully sleeping despite the sun directly in his eyes, and shakes him awake. "Wake up, loser!" he shouts into Calum's ear, hopefully busting an eardrum or something.

Calum groans and sleepily attempts to push Ashton off of him. "Get off, fucker!" His voice is slow with sleep. He manages to sit up though, rubbing at his eyes and yawning. "What time is it?"

"Nine," Ashton replies, "now get up, you guys owe me breakfast for making me clean up your shit downstairs."

"No one asked you to clean our shit up," Calum retorted. "And we don't owe you anything."

It's true, Ashton knows it. They really don't own him anything, considering he's the one they spent money on to get him off his ass. Instead of arguing, he pouts his lips and pulls out the puppy dog eyes, batting his eyelashes and whimpering.

"Fuck off," Calum says, but he pushes the covers off and gets up anyway. "I'll wake Michael up. Where's Luke?"

"Uh." Ashton turns around and sighs in relief when he sees Luke standing in the doorway. He's a bit embarrassed though, since Luke probably saw the showcase of strange friendship. "Right there."

"Good morning," Calum says to Luke.

"Good morning." There's a bit of hesitation in Luke's voice, but Calum doesn't seem to notice.

Calum shoos Ashton out of his room, seeming not to be hungover, which Ashton is grateful for. He takes Luke back downstairs to his room where he gives him a new change of clothes for the day, and the two wait for Calum and Michael in the living room. There's awkwardness between them that Ashton can definitely sense, but Luke continues to glance around, unfazed. Ashton can only shake his head in disbelief.

"I heard the princess wants breakfast," Michael announces loudly. He's trudging down the stairs, already dressed. "And we all know we'd do anything for the princess." Calum snickers behind him.

"Oh, fuck off," Ashton says, standing up from the sofa. "Where's the nearest café around here? I'm in the mood for a hearty breakfast."

"Like I said, a fucking princess," Michael mutters.

Calum punches him lightly on the shoulder. "About a five minute drive. It's a good one, too. My family went there almost every morning for breakfast."

Michael's eyes land on Luke. "And him?"

Luke looks up at Ashton from the sofa. He doesn't say anything, nor does he look to be bothered by Michael's remark. "He's coming with us, obviously," Ashton says bluntly.

"It is okay if Michael does not want me to go," Luke offers. "He does not seem to be fond of me, anyway."

Michael tenses visibly, a look of guilt appearing on his face. He must have certainly not expected Luke to comment, but now that he has, he's standing there awkwardly with Calum and Ashton awaiting his response.

"Oh, uh," Michael sputters, "no, it's fine. You can come. I don't not like you. It's just, still weird, you know?"

Luke nods wordlessly but he stands and walks to Ashton's side. "Let's go, I guess," Michael says. He's the first out the door, and Calum just turns to Ashton and shrugs.

-

Ashton has to show Luke how to use a fork and spoon, which luckily he catches onto quickly. Michael and Calum watch across from them, snickering, and Ashton just hopes no one else is paying attention. The breakfast is fucking amazing, though, considering Ashton hasn't had a  _real_ breakfast in what seemed like weeks. He orders the whole deal like Calum and Michael, three pancakes with a side of sausage and eggs, and Luke watches curiously all of them eat. They order a little less for Luke, considering he hasn't eaten yet. Literally.

"You like it?" Ashton asks Luke with his mouth full.

"Yes," Luke replies with an equally full mouth. "I did not know tasting things brings joy."

Michael snorts and giggles. "That's a fucking quote," he chokes out.

Luke laughs as well, but it's not an awkward or pity laugh. He seems to be really enjoying himself, laughing along with the group just like any other human would. He's doing really well as a human, Ashton thinks, and maybe with a bit more learning experience he could pass off as a normal member of society.

"We need to go shopping today," Michael says, "since Calum wanted to buy souvenirs at the fucking  _airport._ "

Calum smacks the back of Michael's head, sparking a mini slap-fight between the two. Ashton leans over to Luke and murmurs, "Don't do that to random strangers in public. They're just idiots. And you hear how Michael's swearing? Yeah, try not to do that in public either."

"Swearing?" Luke whispers back.

"They're saying 'fuck' a lot," Ashton explains. "That, along with a bunch of other choice words, aren't good to say in public. You can say them around us, just not in front of other people, okay?"

Luke nods, then asks, "What are the other words I am not supposed to say?"

Michael and Calum's scuffle ends with Michael crossing his arms and Calum smiling in victory, sticking his tongue out. "I'll tell you later," Ashton tells Luke.

The group ends up traveling down one of the many boulevards of Key West consisting of local trinket shops and small apparel stores, where most of the items just have logos of 'Key West' engraved or embroidered on them. Calum, being a sucker for keepsakes, stops at nearly all of them, with Michael having to pull him by the ear again because "we have to buy clothes for Luke, and we're not going to get him clothes that all say 'Key West' on them, dumbass."

They end up at a strip mall with bigger brand name stores and chain restaurants, and Michael goes to town. Considering Michael is their ride home, they follow him everywhere to avoid stupid conflict because Calum knows Michael will ditch them if they upset him. It ends up being quite beneficial, though, because Michael picks out some outfits for Luke and pays for all of them, possibly due to remorse.

"Thank you, Michael," Luke says five hours and ten shopping bags later. "I appreciate everything you have done for me today."

Ashton can see Michael blush a bit. "N-no problem, man."

If Ashton were Michael, he'd blush too. After all, Luke has a weird cute goofy smile and after spending an entire day with him, Ashton learns a couple things. First, Luke has a way with words, and even though Ashton already knows that he rarely uses contractions, his courtesy and eloquence leave people astounded. He always thanks the person at the register and bows a little bit, leaving the cashier dumbfounded but oddly charmed. He's gotten weird looks, but not  _bad_ weird. Second, he's as curious as ever, having to ask Ashton what a multitude of things are and what they do, and though he expects having to explain everything to Luke to get tiring, he doesn't get tired. He likes teaching Luke things, and Luke likes learning things. Third, he's pretty sure Michael's developing a bit of a crush on their new friend.

They return to the boulevard in the evening for dinner at some fancy seafood place. They sit outside where adornments and lanterns light up the table, and a faint scent of fire keeps the bugs away. Luke stares at the lanterns intensely and Ashton can only assume they remind him of where he comes from.

"Guys, my grandfather's all buddy-buddy with the owner of this place, and he's hooking us up with a discount," Calum says.

"Good, because this place is expensive as hell," Michael says, eyes scanning the menu. "Seriously, fifteen bucks for an appetizer? That's blasphemy!"

Luke looks down from the string of lanterns and chuckles. He looks over to Ashton, who is focused on choosing an entree. "You never told me the rest of the forbidden words."

Michael looks up from the menu and raises an eyebrow. "Forbidden words?"

Ashton decides on the shrimp scampi. "Swears. Since you idiots swear all the time and I don't want Luke going around thinking he can say that shit anywhere he goes."

"You just swore!" Calum gasps.

"Yeah, Luke, 'shit' is a swear," Ashton says.

"Fuck, shit, and cunt are probably the worst you can say in public," Michael says. "You might be able to get away with bitch and ass, though bitch is sometimes frowned upon, and I don't even consider hell and damn to be swears, although you might get a few dirty looks from moms with kids."

"As you can see, Michael likes his swear words," Calum comments.

Michael ignores him and continues. "You should also probably not talk about your dick and balls in public, either. That's like, a whole other category of swears. I don't even think they're swears, they're just... vulgar."

"How much thought do you put into this?" Calum asks snidely.

Luke just looks confused, but he nods anyway. "I do not know why I should not say those words in public or what any of them mean, but because you say so, I will refrain from using them."

They order their food and Ashton's seriously surprised when the bill comes back to them and it's just over fifty bucks, considering they must have ordered two hundred dollars worth of food. He kind of wants to kiss Calum on the cheek because the food was fucking delicious and the discount saved them some serious money.

(He kisses Calum on the cheek before they pile back into Michael's car. Calum wipes his cheek immediately after.)

When they get back to the house, Ashton decides to have a shower while Michael and Calum choose a movie. He instructs Luke to wait for him with them, and though Luke is hesitant, he agrees to do as he's told because he doesn't really know what else to do. When Ashton is finished, he exits the bathroom to see the title menu of Mean Girls displayed on the screen.

"Seriously guys?" he says as they settle down on the sectional with a huge bowl of popcorn. Luke is already sitting down with his hands placed neatly on his lap. He's changed into a brand new pair of pajamas that Michael bought for him. Ashton's heart skips a little.

"Calum's pick," Michael says, rolling his eyes.

"We're taking turns!" Calum says defensively. "Tomorrow is your pick, promise."

"What are we doing?" Luke asks, completely clueless.

Ashton plops down on the sectional next to Luke. "We're watching a movie," Ashton says. "It's where people act out a story on a screen for entertainment." He never thought he'd have to explain what a movie is. Luke nods understandingly, though his expression still reads confused. Ashton can't really explain it in a better way, but he hopes that by watching it, Luke will understand it.

Despite Michael's opposition to the movie choice, Ashton can tell he quite enjoys it, since he's the only one laughing at parts that are only semi-funny. Occasionally Ashton would look over at Luke to see how he's reacting, but his face remains stoic throughout the whole movie. He doesn't let out a single laugh the entire time. Though Ashton likes the movie, he's finding it difficult to watch knowing Luke isn't enjoying it. By the end of it, he can't tell if Luke even liked it a little bit.

Michael's the first one to stand up, turning the movie off and retreating into the kitchen. He returns with two six-packs of beer and sets them down on the coffee table.

"I am  _not_ cleaning up after you assholes again," Ashton says.

He's not really in the mood to get drunk, which is rare for him, but Calum and Michael certainly are. Calum's already popping the lid off a bottle as Michael offers one to Ashton. What the heck, he figures, he'll just have one.

Michael holds one to Luke. "What is it?" the blond asks.

"It's beer," Michael says. "You drink it and it makes you happy."

Ashton pushes Michael's arm away. There is no way Michael is getting Luke drunk after his first full day of being on Earth. "He might not like it," Ashton says. "He can try some of mine, and if he likes it, he can have some. But I swear to god, Michael, if you're trying to get him drunk—"

"I'm not going to get him drunk," Michael interrupts. "We don't need some star-boy puking all over the place. Might cause a nuclear explosion, who knows?"

Ashton scoffs as he pops the cap off his bottle of beer. He holds it out to Luke. "Do you wanna try it?"

Luke gingerly takes the bottle from Ashton hand. He sniffs it, his face twisting with slight disgust. "It does not smell pleasant."

"It makes you feel pleasant," Michael says. Calum smacks him in the head again.

Reluctantly, Luke takes a small sip of it. He scrunches his nose and frowns, handing the bottle back to Ashton. "I do not like it very much," he decides, and Ashton laughs.

"Figured you wouldn't," he says, taking a swig.

He sips the beer over time, watching as Calum and Michael down theirs. He really hopes Michael doesn't bring out any hard stuff, or there would definitely be hangovers to deal with in the morning. Luckily, he doesn't, and he and Calum get drunk off of beer, which is something Ashton can handle when they wake up. Luke and Ashton watch as Calum and Michael dance around each other, smiling like the idiots they are.

"I love you man," Michael coos. "Thank you for taking me on vacation."

He places a slobbery kiss on Calum's cheek. Calum fake-retches but smiles adoringly at his friend, only to slap him on the head again. "Ow! What the hell was that for?"

"Your head is so slappable," Calum giggles.

He falls on top of Michael and the two land on the couch, laughing in an entanglement of drunken limbs. They're whispering to each other and Ashton can't hear them, not that he particularly wants to.

"Your friends are funny," Luke comments.

Ashton chuckles. "Yeah, they are."

There's a look on Luke's face that is a mixture of confusion and curiosity as he watches Calum and Michael wrestle playfully onto the floor. Michael hits his head on the coffee table at one point, to which Ashton responds with a "oh my god, are you okay?" and Calum responds with a "you stupid idiot" and a burst of laughter.

Ashton's too caught up in his friends' stupidity to realize that Luke has gone. "Luke?" he calls out, but he can only hear the bickering of his drunk friends. They're too wrapped up in each other, so Ashton figures he'll just go look for Luke and leave his friends alone.

He couldn't have gone far, Ashton figures, and he does end up finding him. He's in his own room, sitting on the bed and staring out the window at the night sky. "Luke?"

Luke turns at the sound of his name. "Oh, Ashton. Hello. I am sorry if I worried you. I felt a bit out of place so I decided I would leave you and your friends alone."

His face remains unchanged. Ashton sighs and sits down on the bed next to him. He can't help but feel a pang of guilt in his gut since he didn't mean to make Luke feel like a fourth wheel. Though it doesn't seem to bother Luke all that much, Ashton knows it's still a shitty feeling.

"You didn't have to leave," Ashton tells him. "They're just being drunk idiots and I was trying to make sure they wouldn't hurt themselves."

"What is drunk?" Luke asks, and Ashton has to stifle a laugh.

"That stuff we were drinking, if you drink enough of it, you get really giggly and stupid," Ashton says. "As you could see with Michael and Calum."

Luke nods. "I remember seeing that in the movie we watched."

So he  _was_ paying attention. "Did you like it? The movie, I mean."

The blond shrugs. "I have no opinion on it. I did not understand it that well, after all. I understood what everyone was saying, but I could not make sense of a lot of the actions of the characters."

"What do you mean?" Ashton asks. As far as he knows, there's nothing confusing about what the characters do, but then again, it's Luke, a star-turned-human, who's never seen people on TV before.

Luke's brows knit together as if he's trying to remember something. "I saw it today while we were out, too. Two people put their lips together. What is that?"

_Oh._

"Uh, that's called a 'kiss.' It's, um, a way of showing someone you like them, I guess." Ashton's trying really hard not to make things weird. He knows Luke is just curious, and that Luke doesn't know anything about human interaction besides talking. It's so strange; it's like talking to a five-year-old in the form of a grown man.

"So, if you like someone, you kiss them?" Luke asks.

"No, it's not like that," Ashton says hurriedly. "It's for people who  _really_ like each other, like, romantically."

Luke blinks and stares blankly at Ashton. He  _really_ doesn't know how to explain romance. It's been a while since he's loved someone, and even though he has before, it's  _still_ hard to explain.

"If two people," Ashton starts, trying to choose his words carefully, "like each other romantically, they can feel it. They want to be with each other a lot. They get fuzzy feelings in their stomachs when they're around each other. Their hearts beat faster when they're together. It's, um, really hard to explain."

Luke hums, trying to process the new information. "Kissing is meant exclusively for people who like each other romantically? Does that mean Michael and Calum like each other romantically?"

"What? No! I mean, I don't know. If they do, they won't tell me." Ashton chuckles at the thought of his two friends together like that. "They just have weird ways of showing affection."

"I see. I was just wondering because I saw you and Michael both kiss Calum's cheek today, and when I saw it on the TV, I was confused."

So Luke had seen that. "I mean," Ashton says, "it's not  _exclusively_ meant for people who like each other romantically. It's just a nice thing to do. It feels good, I guess." He's not lying, it  _does_ feel good in most cases. "Sometimes friends kiss."

"Does it feel good in the way tasting delicious food feels good?"

Ashton almost laughs at that because it's just so  _innocent._ "I really don't know how to explain it to be honest, Luke."

"Then, can you show me?"

Ashton heart jumps at the question and he grips at the bedsheets. "Are you asking me to kiss you, Luke?"

He can't bring himself to look at him, but he really wants to. He honestly wouldn't mind kissing Luke at all. Luke is hot, after all, as he decided the previous night, but he just feels sort of guilty. Luke knows absolutely nothing about the world, and for him to be bold enough to ask to kiss him is just unimaginable to Ashton. He wants to kiss Luke, but he also doesn't want to kiss Luke.

"Yes," Luke answers. "You said that friends kiss, and I believe we are friends. However, if you do not want to kiss me, that is okay as well."

Ashton's starting to feel lightheaded because he's seriously considering it. He can feel the rhythmic thumping of his heart and he knows Luke is looking at him. When he looks up, he is met with beautiful cerulean eyes, and he _almost_ leans in. He has to stop himself to remind himself that Luke has never kissed anyone before and will probably continue to ask very innocent questions and he has to be ready for that.

"I-I'll kiss you, if that's what you want," Ashton says lowly.

Luke smells like lavender, his scent filling Ashton's brain and drawing him closer. Though he can feel himself leaning in, Luke doesn't budge. "I would like to know what kissing feels like," he says. "Therefore, I would like you to kiss me. However, I do not know how to do so."

"Just... go with it," Ashton murmurs. He's so close to Luke's lips that he can feel them. "And close your eyes."

He already has his eyes closed when his lips connect with Luke's. At first, Luke doesn't move his lips at all, but as Ashton begins to move his, he attempts to follow along, to  _go with it,_ as Ashton had told him. It's not the best kiss Ashton's ever had, but it's still amazing because it's  _Luke,_ a boy sent from the stars, whose lips feel like butter. Ashton could kiss them all day.

Luke is an even quicker learner than Ashton thought. He knows when and how to move his lips as Ashton builds up a rhythm, and it's just so  _good_ and Ashton panics slightly because he's just run his tongue along Luke's bottom lip. He pulls away quickly and Luke opens his eyes.

"Is something wrong?" he asks.

"Um, no, I just." Ashton can't even form a complete sentence. His heart is doing backflips and he's seriously trying to ignore the fact that his dick is starting to twitch a bit.

"I quite like it. Kissing, that is," Luke says. Ashton can't even tell what Luke is feeling. He says it so casually, so  _innocently._ "You were right. It does feel good. And not in the way tasting good food does."

Ashton is brought out of his momentary haze of arousal. That's right, he reminds himself, Luke is innocent. He can't do the things he's thinking about doing with Luke. He ignores the feeling in the pit of his stomach. He smiles at Luke and tells him he did a good job, that he's a quick learner and a good kisser. Luke smiles back and thanks him.

"I think I am going to sleep soon, after I shower," Luke says.

Ashton says the same thing and leaves Luke's room with a 'goodnight,' but he returns to his room and shoves his hand down his pants because he kind of really wants to see Luke in the shower. He wants to fuck Luke against the shower door, he wants to see how Luke comes for the first time. He finds himself wanting to chip away at Luke's innocence, to _wreck_ him, even. He comes with the thought of Luke going down on him, his virgin lips wrapped tightly around his cock, and that's when he realizes he's properly  _fucked._


	3. celestial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to escalate. Ashton thinks he might be okay with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> disclaimer: i dont know anything about astrology so please dont come for me b/c of inaccuracies

When Ashton wakes up, he's surprised to see that Calum is already awake.

"You guys were pretty stupid last night," he says entering the kitchen.

Calum's cooking breakfast today. "Lovely morning to you too," he replies groggily. "I'm fine, barely hungover. Can't speak for Michael, though. He's still asleep."

"And Luke?"

Calum transfers a pan of eggs onto a plate. "On the balcony, I think."

Sure enough, Luke is reclined in one of the fold-out chairs with his head buried in a newspaper. It's kind of funny, Luke looking like an old man reading the morning newspaper. At the sound of the door sliding open, he lowers the newspaper and glances back at Ashton.

"Good morning," he says.

"Catching up on news?" Ashton takes a seat in the chair next to Luke's.

"I believe this paper is old," Luke says with a small frown. "Calum told me I should read something. So I picked this out of the basket next to the TV."

Ashton had noticed that when he first scoped the house out. It's an old woven basket filled with old magazines and newspapers that probably date back to the early 2000s. Ashton has to remind himself that Luke doesn't know any better, but he also kind of wants to slap Calum for telling Luke to read something. It's a bit insensitive, he thinks. But maybe Calum thought he was helping.

"Not to sound rude or anything, but I'm surprised you can read," Ashton says.

Luke chuckles and flips to the next page of the newspaper. "If I am honest, I am surprised as well. I guess it is another thing I came down here knowing."

Ashton nods and stares out at the beach. The sun is already high in the sky, its glare luckily shaded by the balcony's awning. There's the sound of waves landing upon the shore and seagulls cawing from a mile away, the ocean breeze gently blowing Ashton's hair from his face. To his right is the hill where he first met Luke, and though it only happened a few days ago, he feels like he's known Luke for longer.

Probably because he kissed him the night before.

Ashton forces himself to push the image out of his mind. There are two people on the hill staring out at the ocean through the binoculars. He's surprised people still go to such an obsolete area, but he can't blame them. It's a lovely view, unobstructed from trees or buildings or anything. 

"So what's in the news from ten years ago?" Ashton asks, trying to make idle conversation.

"It is about the local schools' sports teams. I do not know what any of it means, but I am trying to make sense of it," Luke says. "From what I can gather, a school is where people play sports."

"Well, yes and no. Schools are where people go to learn things, but they offer sports for people who like to be active," Ashton says.

He then goes on to explain how schools work and what things people learn when they go to school, and Luke seems to absorb all of it. Ashton can't blame him if he doesn't understand most of it, considering he'd probably have a hard time grasping it as an adult who's never been on Earth before. By the time he's done explaining it, he's slightly out of breath, hungry, and confused as to how he even managed to get through school without thinking too much about the logistics of it.

Calum calls them for breakfast, and although it's not as good as the café's food, it's still good for Calum's level of cooking abilities. Ashton's pleasantly surprised. Michael wakes up halfway through, complaining that his head hurts and Calum threatens to make it hurt more if he doesn't shut up and eat. Michael grumbles to himself but complies, eating slowly and taking large gulps of orange juice in between pained groans.

"At least he's not throwing up," Ashton says.

"Don't jinx it," Michael gripes with his head buried in his arms.

Luke eats but keeps his eyes on Michael worriedly. "Will he be okay?"

"He's just being a big baby," Calum deadpans. With a glare from Michael, he adds, "Yes, he'll be fine."

Ashton smiles helplessly at Luke, hoping it'll ease some of his worry. It's nice to see that Luke cares about his friends, despite them being hesitant at first about keeping him in the house with them. They're definitely warming up to him too; Ashton catches Michael gazing at him from time to time, and it's no surprise there, considering Luke is just so fascinatingly charming. When they finish breakfast, Michael tells the group he just wants to relax for the day and recover from his tiny hangover but that the rest of them can do whatever they want without him.

Calum suggests something adventurous, like going snorkeling or zip lining, but he hears Michael shout, "Don't you assholes do anything fun without me!" So then he suggests to just do some more exploring and walking around and calls Michael a prick who can't make up his goddamn mind.

"Seriously, he tells us we can do whatever we want without him, then says not to do anything fun without him? Okay, sure, fucking dickhead."

Ashton then tells Luke not to say 'fucking dickhead' in public. Luke nods in understanding.

They end up going to a different shopping avenue that's a bit more urban than the last, but it definitely has no shortage of gift shops. Calum's like a kid in a candy store there, literally, they stop inside a candy store and Calum buys a lollipop of every single color. He restrains himself from going into every single souvenir shop because he knows Ashton and Luke are nice and won't pull him by the ear, so he doesn't want them to make them mad. He buys little trinkets that include a puka shell necklace, a shotglass with Key West written on it, a pair of sterling silver earrings for his mom, and a mini glass sculpture of a dolphin.

Despite having to follow Calum into every store, Ashton ends up buying some things too. He gets a shirt with Key West embroidered into it and a new pair of sunglasses. When he asks if Luke wants anything, he shakes his head, and Ashton notices the way his curls bob up and down and has to practically tear his eyes away from the boy.

They stop for snacks here and there, and Luke decides he likes mint chocolate chip ice cream and caramel corn. Ashton has to tear his eyes away from Luke  _again_ while he eats his ice cream. He'll go crazy if he thinks about Luke's tongue like that.

Calum gets a call from Michael when the sun is low in the sky. "Hey Cal, I'm feeling much better now that I've had a three hour nap and a fucking godly cheese toastie. What's for dinner?"

"I can cook, or we can go out again to a different place."

"What about Ashton and Luke?"

Calum looks to his friends for suggestions. Ashton shrugs, and it's not like Luke can really say much to the matter. "We'll come pick you up. I saw a place down here that I wanna try."

They pick Michael up from the house and drive back to where they were before. Turns out Calum had seen a restaurant on a pier, which was fucking sick. They're seated right next to the ocean, their view of it and the sunset right beside them. Ashton is pretty sure he's in paradise.

"Ooh, fried goodness." Michael reads the menu excitedly. "Craft beer? Holy shit, Calum, for once you made a good decision!"

Michael, expecting a smack on the head, immediately guards his head with his hands, only to have Calum jab at him right in the stomach. "Okay, I think I deserved that," Michael wheezes with the wind knocked out of him.

But Michael is right, Calum's decision is a  _really tasty_ one. They indulge in the 'fried goodness,' which consists of chips and a plate of fried clams, scallops, and fish nuggets that leave Ashton's mouth drooling. Michael gets his craft beer and sips it happily while the four of them chat about various topics ranging from why school is necessary to what outer space is  _really_ made out of. They all turn to Luke, to which he says, "I do not know what space is made out of. I do not even understand the question."

By the end of dinner they're all full and greasy, and Ashton has never been happier. Surprisingly, the bill isn't even that expensive, considering how amazing the food and service were. The sun has almost set by the time they leave, purples and oranges painting the horizon. Before they head home, Michael wants to go shopping since he didn't get to earlier. Calum doesn't complain because now he gets to go wherever he wants without feeling guilty about dragging Ashton and Luke around.

"I'll give you a call once we're done, okay?" Calum says with Michael tugging his sleeve already. "Stop being a child for one second, would you?"

Michael pouts and Calum rolls his eyes. They head off in the opposite direction, Calum smiling apologetically at Ashton and Luke before disappearing into a crowd of people.

"So," Ashton says, starting to walk off, "where do you wanna go?"

It's a dumb question because Luke probably still doesn't know where he  _is,_ but to Ashton's surprise, the blond boy replies, "Can we go to that shop we went to earlier?"

"Which one? We went to a lot of them."

"The one where Calum bought the earrings," Luke says. "I saw something there that I would like to look at again."

Ashton wonders why Luke didn't just ask him to buy it earlier, but he shrugs it off and takes Luke back to the trinket shop (he remembers where it is, surprisingly). It's a small one with two steps at the entrance. There are dreamcatchers and windchimes hanging from the ceiling, some of them made of stained glass splashed with bright colorful accents. Ignoring everything else, Luke heads over a corner where different charms and statuettes are splayed out over a clothed table. His eyes lock on one of the statuettes, a glass sculpture of the circle of the zodiac. Each sign is a different color painted into the glass. Luke runs his thumb along Cancer.

"I can get that for you, if you'd like," Ashton offers.

Luke stares at the glass intensely. "I cannot ask that of you," he says without looking at Ashton.

"You're not asking me to, I'm  _offering_ to buy it for you."

Luke stays silent, his gaze fixed on the Cancer piece of the sculpture. Ashton looks down at the table at observes the other statuettes, most of which are maritime creatures. The zodiac one seems a bit out of place, he notices, but he doesn't question it.

"You know, I'm a Cancer," Ashton says.

Luke finally breaks eye contact with the sculpture. "You are?"

Ashton nods. "Yeah. Born July seventh. Though, I'm not sure if it has anything to do with where you're from. I don't believe in astrology, but it's fun to read sometimes."

"I do not know the logistics of astrology. However, I do know that humans born are at different times during the year, which are associated with the times the stars and the sun align. In your case, when you were born, the constellation of Cancer was passing the sun." Luke looks back at the sculpture.

Ashton feels a weird sense of guilt and something else, something that he can't put his finger on. He feels bad for Luke, in a way. He wonders if Luke misses his home, if Luke even remembers a sliver of his life before this one, if he had one. It's almost as if he's locked in a state of remembrance as he looks at the sculpture, but Ashton can't read Luke's expression for the life of him.

Finally, Luke says, "Will you truly buy this for me?"

"Yes, Luke, I will  _truly_ buy it for you," Ashton says with a hint of sarcasm. Luke doesn't pick it up, though; he just smiles gratefully and hands the souvenir to Ashton. Ashton makes the purchase and hands it back to Luke, who cradles it carefully in his hands as they walk out of the store.

-

Michael calls Ashton about an hour later, and when they meet back up, he brings a bag of kettle corn that is half his height with him.

"I told him he shouldn't buy it," Calum says as they're walking back to the car. "We have plenty of popcorn at home already."

"But this bag is  _huge!_ " Michael protests. "I couldn't not get it."

"Lucky for you, Luke quite liked it when we had some earlier today," Calum says. "Right, Luke?"

Luke is staring at the zodiac sculpture again, but replies with a quiet 'yes.' Calum gives Ashton a questioning look, but all he can really do is shrug in response. The drive home is silent. Michael cradles his bag of popcorn like a child.

"Please don't get drunk again," Ashton begs as they head inside the house.

Michael's already making a beeline for the DVD rack, setting the bag of kettle corn down on the sectional. "I'm gonna get drunk off this fucking bag of kettle corn and no one's gonna stop me."

Ashton notices Luke heading straight up to his room. He can't help but feel a little concerned. While Michael shuffles through the DVD options, Calum approaches Ashton with a similar concerned look on his face.

"Is Luke okay?" he asks.

Ashton purses his lips. He honestly has no idea what Luke is feeling, since his face is almost always expressionless unless he's smiling or laughing. "I don't know. I bought him a glass statue of the zodiac and he's been acting strange since."

"Guys! I'm thinking Spirited Away. Cal, you like that movie, right?" Michael calls out.

Ignoring him for now, Calum turns back to Ashton. "He might be homesick, though I'm not sure how that would work since he wasn't human to begin with. You should probably go comfort him or something."

Ashton's heart begins racing again because he could do that, and he wants to do that, but he's worried at the same time because what if he acts on his impulses? While Luke is vulnerable, what if he pushes him down and kisses him until he can't breathe? He tries his best to push the thoughts away again, then Calum places a hand on his shoulder and says, "Ashton? Earth to?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," Ashton says. "You guys can start the movie. I'll just, um, go see if Luke is okay." Hoping Calum couldn't sense his nervousness, he spins around on his heels and practically sprints up the stairs and into Luke's room.

Luke is sitting on his bed, clutching the statue in both his hands. "Oh, Ashton," he says, glancing up from it. "Hello."

"Um, hi," Ashton replies, trying to catch his breath. "A-Are you okay? I mean, you just kind of took off to your room."

"Oh, yes," Luke says, placing the statue down gently on the floor beside him. "I am sorry. I have just been feeling a bit... nostalgic."

"Nostalgic?"

"Yes. I saw the sculpture at the store earlier today and was immediately drawn to it. I apologize if I alarmed you." Luke looks up at him with those stupid blue eyes.

Ashton isn't so worried anymore, but he still feels for Luke. He can oddly sympathize with him. It must be weird, feeling homesickness that shouldn't even exist to begin with. Ashton starts to wonder how self-aware Luke actually is.

"I was just—y'know—worried about you," Ashton pants. Why is he so breathless all of a sudden?

Luke nods. "I understand, and I am sorry that I worried you, but I am okay."

Ashton sighs and sits beside Luke. It's definitely not helping the fact that he's supposed to be trying not to make moves on Luke, but he's just comforting him. Yeah, that's it. He's just comforting him, there's nothing wrong with sitting next to someone you're trying to comfort.

"Ashton," Luke says. He sounds... shy?

He tries his best to not look into Luke's entrancing eyes, but then the starboy asks, "Will you kiss me again?"

Ashton's heart wants to leap out of his chest. He swallows a lump of nerves and lust, not knowing how he should respond. He could go in for it without saying anything, he could be cool and sly about it, but he has no time to really think about it because Luke's saying, "It felt really nice when we kissed last night, and I, um, would like to do it again."

It's the first time Ashton has ever heard Luke stutter. He gives in and looks the boy right in his cerulean eyes. He nods gently.

"Okay."

This time, they both lean into each other. There's still some hesitation on Luke's part, but Ashton can definitely feel the improvement since last night. He's moving his lips with more confidence, still at a slow pace, but it's enough to send Ashton spiraling. He brings his hand up to the back of Luke's neck, pulling him in and deepening the kiss. Luke gasps into it but doesn't stop or pull away. His hair is so soft, Ashton wonders what it would be like to pull it—

He pulls away to try and recollect his thoughts. Luke looks back at him, puzzled. "Why did you stop again?"

There's hurt in his voice, and Ashton winces internally. He was the first one to pull away last night too, though he didn't really want to. "It's just, I don't want to take it too far? If that makes sense." Then it dawns on him that no, it probably doesn't make sense because Luke is still innocent and has no idea what kissing can escalate to.

"I do not know exactly what you mean," Luke says, "but I do not mind, whatever that may mean."

Ashton clenches his jaw and thinks hard. "Okay, but if you want to stop at any point, tell me, okay?"

Luke nods, and the two lean back into the kiss, resuming where they had left off. It's just as amazing as last night,  _better_ , actually, because Luke is moving his lips against Ashton's with more fever and passion. Ashton decides to be bold and run his tongue along Luke's bottom lip again, this time, not pulling away. He puts his hand back on Luke's neck and pulls him in again, his tongue slipping inside Luke's mouth.

"Mmph!"

It's a quiet, surprised gasp, but Ashton doesn't pull away entirely. He retracts his tongue back into his mouth, not wanting to overwhelm Luke, but then he feels a different tongue on his lips and  _oh,_ Luke's tongue is gliding along Ashton's bottom lip this time. He lets it in and their tongues mesh together, slowly. Ashton can tell Luke is still learning, but his mouth and tongue and lips are driving him crazy, crazy enough to—

Ashton pulls away, maybe a bit abruptly, but then his lips latch onto Luke's neck as he gently pushes him down onto the bed. Luke gasps at all the sudden movement and his hands stay in the air clumsily, not knowing what to do with them. Ashton continues to press butterfly kisses into Luke's neck and he feels the boy's hands finally landing on his hips.

"Is this okay?" Ashton whispers against the skin of Luke's neck.

"Y-Yes," Luke pants. His grip on Ashton's hips is light. "It feels good."

Ashton sighs and resumes kissing along Luke's neck, making sure not to leave a single inch of skin unkissed. Luke is breathing hard now, his hands holding Ashton's waist tighter. Ashton kisses his way back up to Luke's mouth where he graciously accepts it, their tongues swirling around each other. He cups Luke's cheek and brings them together closer somehow, their kiss deepening even further, and Ashton is so breathless that he's starting to see stars.

He doesn't realize his free hand starting to roam down Luke's body, to the boy's side. He tugs at the hem of his shirt, pulling away to see Luke's lips and cheeks completely flushed with pink. "It'll feel even better this way," Ashton murmurs.

He pulls Luke up and removes his shirt, and Luke cooperates like he knows what's about to happen. Ashton swiftly pulls his off too and wastes no time crashing back down onto Luke's lips. This time Ashton can feel even more of Luke's skin. It's warm and smooth against his, and he can feel himself growing harder and harder in his jeans as he kisses Luke relentlessly. Luke's hands find their way to the small of Ashton's back, his fingertips digging into the skin there, making him moan suddenly in pleasure.

Luke jerks his lips away from Ashton's in panic. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

Ashton shakes his head. "God, no, Luke. You're doing so good."

He kisses Luke again, not intending to stop this time. He wants to hear Luke moan. Feeling brave, he lowers himself down slightly, his body pressing against Luke's. He reaches his hand between them, not knowing what to expect, but he feels a wave of relief wash over him when he feels Luke hard in his jeans. He squeezes Luke's bulge lightly, testing the waters, and Luke squeals into his mouth.

"Wh-what," Luke stutters. "What was that?"

Instead of answering, Ashton sits up, his other hand lowering to unbutton Luke's jeans. "Did it feel good?"

Luke nods hesitantly. "What are you doing?"

"I'm taking your pants off. Is that okay?"

Ashton thinks this is wrong, this is so so wrong. He's unzipping Luke's jeans already and Luke's not saying no, but he's not saying yes. For reassurance, he runs his hand down along Luke's inner thigh and squeezes lightly, earning another gasp from the boy below him.

"Whatever you are doing, it f-feels really good," Luke says. "I do not mind if you continue."

Now  _that_ sounds like the Luke Ashton knows. With no hesitation, he finishes undoing Luke's pants and pushes them down to reveal Luke's hard on in his boxers (that Michael had graciously purchased for him). Ashton's surprised because  _wow,_ he didn't expect Luke to be that big. It's not  _huge,_ but it's definitely above average, and Ashton can feel his mouth watering.

He takes his pants off as well, not wanting to leave Luke in the dark. It's obvious to both of them that they're hard in their underwear, and though Luke doesn't know what that means, Ashton's willing to show him. He kisses the blond boy again, their lips moving against each other like tidal waves, and Ashton lowers his body again to grind his dick against Luke's.

"Oh!" Luke gasps. "Ashton, what did you do?"

Ashton sits up and palms at Luke's clothed erection. "This is your dick, Luke," he says. "When you rub it, it feels good."

Luke gulps and stares up at him, and he almost doesn't recognize the starboy anymore. His pupils are blown out of proportion and his lips are full and flushed. "It... it does feel really good," Luke mumbles. "If you do not mind, will you continue?"

"Thought you'd never ask," Ashton replies, bringing himself down to rub his own dick against Luke's again.

Luke cries out at the sudden contact and  _yes,_ this is what Ashton wants to hear. He moves his hips against Luke's, making sure Luke can feel every ounce of friction. His fingers dig into Luke's sides and Luke finds his arms wrapped around Ashton's neck. His breath comes out in quick pants as he silently begs for more, pushing his hips up to meet every one of Ashton's movements. He can feel it, too, and he grinds down even harder.

He can feel a patch of precome forming in his boxers, and he glances down to see Luke in the same fashion. "Ashton," Luke breathes, "i-it feels so good."

"I know," Ashton says, leaning down to press more kisses into Luke's neck. He bites down and sucks lightly, pushing his hips down even harder against Luke's cock.

"A-Ashton, something's happening," Luke says. "Something, it—it's so good. I can't—"

Ashton can feel himself nearing orgasm as well. Luke's body is covered in sweat, his breath hot and heavy on his skin. Hearing the innocent boy moan beneath him, unaware of his own upcoming climax is slightly amusing to him. But he's shaken from his thoughts when he feels Luke's breath in his ear.

"Oh, Ashton, s-something's coming out, I don't—"

Ashton breathes hard.

"Let go, baby."

Luke is loud when he comes for the first time, and Ashton has to put his hand over his mouth. But he can hear every bit of pleasure dripping from Luke's mouth. The boy moans loudly as he comes, his stomach tensing and releasing with each pulse. Ashton swears he can see Luke's eyes roll back, and while Luke is coming, Ashton reaches down to rub himself to his own orgasm, his moans muffled by the skin of Luke's neck.

When the two open their eyes, they're panting hard, their boxers sticky with come. "Wh-what just happened?" Luke asks.

Ashton takes deep breaths and sits up. "You just came," he says. "I did too."

Luke manages to prop himself up on his elbows and glances down at his lower half. His brows furrow in confusion. "Why did it happen?"

"It's what happens when you stimulate your dick over and over again," Ashton tells him, and wow, it's gone from a steamy grinding session to another educational lesson for Luke. "And it feels really good," he adds.

Luke's still trying to collect himself after his first orgasm, but he nods accordingly. "I-I think I am going to shower."

"Yeah, me too," Ashton concurs, grabbing his pants from off the floor. He'll have to put them on and sneak back to his room with gross sticky underwear, but it beats being noticed by Michael and Calum and not hearing the end of it.

Luke gets up from the bed and heads for the bathroom, but before he shuts the door, he says, "Ashton, thank you, for that."

Ashton doesn't know how to feel or what to say. He slides his shirt back on and looks back at Luke.

"No problem," he replies.

Luke smiles sheepishly and disappears into the bathroom, and Ashton knows he'll have a lot to explain in the morning.


	4. aurora

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke is as curious as ever. Ashton is definitely okay with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i mean... it just keeps escalating. but this chapter contains a whole lot of malum banter so i hope you enjoy that

Michael and Calum are watching Spirited Away when Ashton goes back downstairs to shower. He contemplates watching with them, not knowing if Luke is going to come out of his room after what happened. He manages to sneak past his friends unseen and he heads straight to his bathroom. He immediately throws his soiled underwear into his dirty laundry pile and showers, trying not to think about the events that just transpired. He feels guilty, definitely, but there's a strange sense of satisfaction from teaching Luke such a lewd act.

Yeah, he's guilty, but if he's honest, he wants it to escalate.

He decides to join Michael and Calum for the movie. They watch it in silence, aside from the obnoxious crunching of kettle corn on Michael's part. By the end, Calum is crying and the bag of kettle corn is only a quarter of the way empty despite all of them munching on it throughout the entire movie. He wonders how much would be gone if Luke had watched the movie with them too.

He needs to stop thinking about Luke, and what better way to forget than to get drunk?

Michael grins as he retrieves even more beer from the kitchen. "So you finally decided to stop being a stickler for sobriety, eh?"

Ashton rolls his eyes as he takes a beer from the pack. He doesn't necessarily want to get  _drunk_ because he'd like to minimize the amount of hangovers during a vacation, but he wants to drink enough so he can focus on something other than the way Luke looked when he came for the first time.

As he drinks with his friends, he's not really forgetting, nor is he getting distracted like he hoped he would, because all he can think about is the fact that Luke hasn't come out of his room. Even though he smiles and laughs along with his tipsy friends, he's not feeling any less guilty.

-

None of them drink enough to wake up with wicked hangovers, which means that maybe they'll get to do something fun and Michael won't complain.

But Michael does complain, saying, "We have months to do the fun shit! Can we just go to a zoo or something?"

Calum's eyes light up at the idea, but then his face immediately falls. Ashton knows how much Calum loves animals, but with the way most zoos treat theirs, he also knows Calum is conflicted. He can see it in Calum's face.

Just then, footsteps sound from the stairs, and Luke appears in the kitchen along with everyone else. Ashton looks down and avoids eye contact at all cost, though he can feel Luke's eyes grazing over him. It's as if Ashton's just had a one night stand, and although it's true in a way, he has a feeling that it won't just be one night.

"Oh, mornin' Luke!" Michael greets from the other end of the kitchen island. "You're up late."

It's ten in the morning.

"Oh, yes," Luke says, his voice monotone as usual. "I apologize. How was the movie last night?"

"Calum cried," Michael says, snorting.

Calum kicks him in the calf. "I did  _not!_ " he shouts as Michael grunts in pain.

"You totally did," Ashton adds, still not looking at Luke.

Luke chuckles and sits down at the table. Michael gives Calum a dirty look as he pushes a plate of breakfast in his direction. "You should've watched the movie with us! It's got a really interesting plot and there aren't any real people in it!"

He then goes on to explain the concept of animation, how people draw the characters and put them in a number of sequences to create a full-length film. Ashton peeks at Luke through the corner of his eye; he's watching Michael intently as he explains the plot of the movie with wild hand gestures and sound effects. He feels everything just looking at Luke, the guilt, the desire, the weird sense of control and satisfaction. It's making his gut twist, and he's suddenly not so hungry anymore

"It kind of reminds me of us now, you know? Like everything that's happened the past couple days is so unbelievable." Michael looks directly at him. "Right, Ash?"

Ashton blinks and looks up to Michael, who is now eyeing him suspiciously. "Oh, yeah."

The bleach blond raises an eyebrow but pays no more attention to it as he turns back to Luke. "Like really! A girl's parents turn into pigs, and a star turns into a human. How magical is that?"

Luke nods, smiling. "Quite."

Ashton pushes his half-eaten plate of breakfast to Calum and smiles apologetically. Calum frowns, but Ashton can see it's one of concern, not disappointment. Wordlessly, he strides back into his room and collapses on the mattress, running his hands along his face.

It's as if he can still feel Luke, the way their bodies melded together, the way Luke's eyes rolled back as he came. He can feel the friction everywhere on his body, like Luke is still pressed up and rubbing against him. He bites his lip hard until he can't feel his dick getting hard.

Even then, the thought of Luke underneath him sends his body into overdrive, and he feels like he's right up in the stars.

Calum knocks on his half-open door a few minutes later, and Ashton's grateful his hard on has gone down in that amount of time. "Hey."

Ashton doesn't say anything, but he enters anyway, shutting the door gently behind him. He sits at the foot of Ashton's bed. "Okay dude, what's up? What happened with Luke?"

"What are you talking about?" He's really trying to play dumb, but he knows it's useless as Calum has known him since grade school. Plus, he's pretty sure he's made it obvious that something happened, as he's received suspecting glances from both of his friends. He groans and shoves his face in his hands.

"You know what I'm talking about," Calum says. "He was acting weird yesterday, then you went to his room, missed half of the movie, and now you guys are acting like you had a one night stand or something. What's the deal?"

Ashton's lungs want to pop out of his chest and onto the floor because that one sentence feels like a gunshot to the chest. How Calum got it right, he has no idea. He can't tell him, he can't tell his best friend that he had a secret grinding session with some boy who came from the stars and got off on it and can't stop thinking about him. He's vigorously searching his brain for excuses until he comes up with a decent one.

"We had a fight, sort of," Ashton says. It makes sense, it explains the whole not looking at each other thing, missing half the movie, etc. He thinks it's a pretty believable story.

"Sort of?" Calum questions.

"Last night he was homesick, as you said." He thinks he's off to a good start. "I tried talking to him about it, and I guess I got frustrated since I couldn't understand what he was saying. I was kind of an asshole, if I'm being honest. I'll probably talk to him later about it, see if we can set things straight."

Calum purses his lips and nods. Ashton is raving on the inside, because he managed to pull off a decent lie, a believable one, and Calum seems to be going along with it. It really does make him sound like an asshole despite being super vague about it. It doesn't really matter, though, because it's not the truth.

Except for the part about wanting to talk to Luke and set things straight.

He really does want to do that, maybe to rid himself of the aching guilt, or maybe because he wants to see where it'll go. He wouldn't mind if Luke decides he doesn't want to do it, because Ashton's not about to force some boy from outer space to do sexual things with him, but he also wouldn't mind (and would probably really like it) if Luke decides to continue.

"As long as you two kiss and make up, I won't get involved," Calum says.

Ashton laughs on the inside because he knows that that's probably what's going to happen. He's just not one to kiss and tell.

-

Michael suggests a beach day.

The beach next to their house is deserted apart from a couple walking their dog, but Michael complains about wanting to go to the resort beach because maybe they'll meet pretty people there. Calum kicks him in the shin, telling him "you just want to ruin little kids' sand castles and tell them Santa isn't real." Michael snickers in response.

Calum makes a deal with him; they'll go to the private beach today and the resort beach next week. He uses Luke as a scapegoat, telling Michael that he still needs to adjust to life on Earth which means not thrusting him on a beach with a bunch of half-naked people. Luke sits there and blinks at each petty remark Michael and Calum throw at each other until Michael finally throws in the towel.

Literally. He goes into Ashton's bathroom and chucks a towel at him.

When all is said and done, Ashton is assigned the task of packing lunch for the four of them while Michael and Calum go out to buy beach supplies. He doesn't get why they didn't bring any in the first place, but then again, it's Michael and Calum and he really can't expect much from them.

But then he's left alone in the house with Luke and he doesn't know what to do.

He's at the kitchen island putting together some sandwiches while Luke sits at one of the stools. He watches him spread peanut butter and jelly and arrange various deli meats onto bread with a weird intensity, and Ashton wants to look up because his eyes are so  _addicting_ and it feels like it's been forever since he's last seen them. He's pretty sure he can get away with a quick glance.

He doesn't. Luke catches his eye the very moment he looks up.

"Ashton, will we talk about what happened last night?"

Ashton swallows the lump in his throat that's been blocking him from talking to Luke. He can't keep prolonging it.

"What's there to talk about?" he asks, and he immediately regrets it. That's not what he wants to say.

"I have a feeling that the reason you did not talk to me this morning has something to do with what we did last night," Luke says casually. "I avoided talking about it around Michael and Calum because it felt like a very intimate event. However, it is still a matter I would like to discuss with you."

Ashton bites his lip as he finishes the last sandwich. "Luke, what we did last night was a very... 'intimate' thing. It's something you don't go around telling people about, you know? I appreciate that you didn't mention it to Michael and Calum, but like, just keep it that way, okay?"

Luke nods. "I assumed so. I have been more keen on picking up social cues. I believe I have considerable knowledge on what is acceptable, and I understand now why Michael told me that 'dick and balls' are not things one talks about in public."

Ashton doesn't understand how Luke can talk like an actual robot but still be so innocent at the same time. He can't help but chuckle and Luke's naivety and casualness, and even when he does, Luke remains unaware. So much for picking up on social cues.

"That being said, however," Luke continues, "I still do not understand everything that occurred last night, and I would like to ask a couple of questions, if that is okay."

This is the moment Ashton's been both looking forward to and absolutely dreading. He always thought the first time he'd be giving 'the talk' to someone would be to his children, but now he's here, with a boy from a different galaxy, and he's about to explain sex.

He braces himself and starts with his own question. "What are your questions?"

Luke looks him directly in the eyes. "The organ in between my legs, I believe you and Michael called it a 'dick?'"

Ashton can feel himself blushing already. He feels like he would normally laugh in this situation because only a child would say such a thing, but he's finding himself not laughing at all, and it's just as awkward as it would be explaining it to a child.

"Um, yeah," he answers, trying to avoid eye contact. "There are other names for it too. Technically it's called a penis, but no one really says that unless it's in a medical or scientific setting, I guess."

"What are the other names for it?" Luke asks.

"Well, in the setting we were in last night, it's usually just referred to as a dick or cock." Ashton has to think hard, because he literally can't come up with any other names for a penis that don't sound incredibly stupid (he thinks of rod, meat stick, and all other phallic-shaped food items that could be innuendos for a penis). He doesn't want to bother mentioning them, so he leaves it there.

Luke nods, his eyes still looking to Ashton. "Why did it increase in size while we were kissing?"

"That happens when you get aroused," he answers. "It's a normal thing. If you're kissing or touching or things like that, you get aroused, or, um, 'horny,' and your dick gets hard."

"And what was that at the end? You said I 'came,' but I do not understand what that meant. The substance that came out was much different from what usually comes out."

This time Ashton does have to bite back a chuckle. "Yes, that stuff is called semen, in scientific terms. Most people just call it come, though. And when it comes out, that's called 'coming.' Hence, when I told you that you came."

"Why did it come out? It felt really good, and it felt much different from when I urinate."

Ashton can't hold back his laugh. "Yeah, that's because it's a completely different process. Technically, semen is used for human reproduction, but most people just do what we did for fun and pleasure rather than actually having babies. Plus, only a woman can have a child, so what we did last night won't result in a baby."

Luke hums to himself, something Ashton has noticed he does when he's deep in thought. "A woman must have a completely different organ then, correct?"

Ashton nods. "That's called a vagina and there's a bunch of other stuff in there that I don't know about. Just don't go around having too much sex, alright?"

"Sex?"

"Yeah. What we did last night, it was sex." A half-truth, but there's no need to explain it fully yet. Ashton has a feeling Luke wouldn't go out of his way just to have sex anyway, so it's not like he needs all the knowledge under his belt.

"I see," Luke says. "So then, sex is not something you talk about in public?"

"Yeah, it's very frowned upon if you talk about it in front of other people. Sometimes friends talk about it with each other since they're closer, but a lot of the time it's a very private matter that stays between the two people."

Before Luke can ask anymore questions, Ashton hears the door unlock and in come his two bickering friends carrying various beach equipment, such as a few wakeboards, an umbrella, some towels, and what looks to be SPF 30 sunscreen.

"—I swear to god Michael, you better not complain if you get burnt since you were the one who suggested this," Calum grunts as he struggles to get both the wakeboards and the umbrella through the door. Michael's carrying the towels and other smaller things. It doesn't surprise Ashton.

"I'm not gonna complain," Michael pouts, setting his pile of things down on the counter.

"Yes, you will, because that's all you ever do!"

Michael lunges forward and their arms entangle in another petty slap fight, and all Ashton and Luke can do is watch. Well, Ashton  _could_ step in, but it's not like his idiot friends would stop completely. Plus, it's quite entertaining for him and Luke. They watch as Calum completely drops everything he's carrying just to swing at Michael, which he blocks with his forearm. All Ashton can see is a blur of limbs, and the sound of slapping can be heard reverberating throughout the room.

Calum manages to shuffle behind Ashton, using the poor boy as a human shield. "Why does he always try to hit me?"

"You're always smacking him on the head and kicking him in the shins," Ashton replies, shrugging.

"Yeah, Calum! You're one to talk!" Michael attempts to jab at Calum but Ashton stands unmoving, making it impossible.

"Can you guys stop being five years old for like, the rest of the time we're alive?" he groans. "Calum is right, Michael. You wanted to go to the beach, so don't complain if you get burnt, which we all know you will since you're pasty as fuck."

Michael huffs and crosses his arm like a temperamental child. "And Calum, if you don't hit Michael for the rest of the day I'll let you pick the movie tonight even though it's my turn. Deal?"

They glare at each other first before nodding, and Calum steps out from behind Ashton. They decide to shake on it, though Calum makes Michael agree to carry one of the wakeboards when they head down to the beach. In return, Michael makes Calum agree to put sunscreen on him. It's a fair trade, since Ashton will be carrying their lunch and they're not about to make Luke a pack mule or a masseuse. They all change into their swim trunks and head out, each carrying their assigned items, apart from Luke.

They walk in pairs, with Michael and Calum leading the way and Ashton and Luke following closely behind. Ashton doesn't pay attention to whatever they're talking about because all he can do is focus on the boy walking next to him and how good he looks in a t-shirt that hugs his arms and torso and makes him look like a literal god. He wonders if he knows how to swim.

"What do humans do at a beach?" Luke asks.

"Swim, eat, play in the sand. It's mostly just a place to relax and enjoy the sun," Ashton answers as they approach the wooden stairs leading down to the beach. It's a little past the hill where Ashton had met Luke. He feels nostalgic already, even though it's only been a few days.

The couple walking their dog had long gone, much to Calum's dismay. Michael lays out a towel and lies down on it, beckoning Calum to rub his body with sunscreen. Reluctantly, the tan boy does so, and Ashton keeps a close eye on them to make sure they don't hit each other. Michael goes out of his way to make it difficult because he's Michael, and moans obscenely while Calum rubs the sunscreen onto his translucent skin. Calum's jaw tenses visibly and Ashton has to shoot him a look that says 'don't even think about it.'

As soon as Calum's finished he springs up and sprints directly towards the water, not even bothering to help Ashton with laying out the rest of the equipment. He just rolls his eyes because it's so typically Calum, but then Michael's running into the ocean and he can't help but wonder why he's even friends with them in the first place because they are literal children.

Luckily, Luke helps him out, though he has to show the starboy how to open the umbrella. The two settle down onto their own towels and watch as Calum and Michael splash around in the shallow water. Ashton glances over a couple times, watching as the ocean breeze wisps through Luke's curls and scatters them across his face. Luke just blinks, not even bothering to move the hair from his face. He has his knees drawn up to his chest with his arms wrapped around them.

"Are you okay?" Ashton asks.

Luke turns to him, seemingly surprised. "Yes," is all he says before he turns back to watching Michael and Calum.

Though peculiar, Ashton doesn't pay much mind to it. "I'm going to go for a bit of a swim, if that's alright with you," he tells Luke.

"That is fine. I will not go anywhere," Luke says.

He doesn't say anything else and Ashton is starting to feel a little worried, but then he hears Calum shriek and that's his cue to strip off his shirt and rescue him from whatever havoc Michael is wreaking upon him.

An hour and a good swim later, they're all under the umbrella eating the sandwiches Ashton had prepared. His hair is dripping everywhere but he kind of likes it, having a picnic on the beach despite getting water everywhere, and when that's multiplied by three, there's even more ocean water and wet sand to deal with. But he really doesn't mind.

"Can you swim?" Michael asks Luke.

He shrugs. "I do not know. I do not wish to try."

Michael stops chewing. "Why not?"

"It looks difficult." Luke looks right at Ashton.

"It's hard to learn, but once you do, it's super easy and fun," Calum says.

"Perhaps another time," Luke says.

Michael and Calum look at each other and shrug. There's an awkward silence, and quite frankly, Ashton doesn't want to try to fill it. They all know Luke is acting strange again and Michael and Calum certainly don't know how to deal with it. They're silently leaving it up to Ashton, but even he doesn't know what he can do to help. As soon as Michael finishes his food, he sprawls out on a towel, slips his sunglasses on, and says, "Don't wake me up unless the world is ending, or I will pee on everything you guys own."

Calum does the same, though he doesn't threaten them. With Michael and Calum both relaxing and probably sleeping, Ashton doesn't know what to do. He could do the same, but that would leave Luke alone. He can tell something is up again, but now isn't the right time or place to ask.

So he just waits it out, goes for another swim, and when Michael and Calum wake up, Michael's legs are on fire.

"Are you fucking  _kidding_ me?" he exclaims, and Ashton is pretty sure the residents could hear him.

"Like I said earlier," Calum says, "you better not complain."

If looks could kill, he'd be dead.

-

Michael waddles back to the house and the rest of them have to try not to laugh at him. They're already turning an angry pink when he busts through the front door. He limp-runs to Ashton's bathroom and screams.

"What a big baby," Calum mutters.

Ashton helps him put away the beach stuff while Michael occasionally cries out in agony, his voice echoing through the entire house. By the time Michael comes out of the bathroom, Calum and Ashton are playing their third game of Uno while Luke watches. His calves are covered in lotion. He sits down at the kitchen island without saying a word, and Calum grins from ear to ear.

"It's even more tempting to kick you in the shins now but I think you're in enough pain." Michael glares at him again, his eyes narrow slits.

"I'm not going to complain," he grits. "I'm such a fucking idiot. Why the hell did I leave my legs out of the shade? It's like the sunscreen didn't even do anything!"

"With how pasty you are, no amount of sunscreen could prevent something like that," Ashton says.

Michael sighs because he knows it's the truth. He goes from fuming to depressed as his head collides with the table with a devastating 'thump.' Ashton actually gets concerned because even he felt it.

"You okay there?"

Michael only groans, raising his head only to look at Calum. "Can you make dinner please?"

Calum snorts, "Why should I?"

But Michael looks absolutely  _miserable,_ and although the two drive each other crazy, they're still best friends. With a sigh, Calum pulls out a wok from one of the cabinets. "I can make a mean stir fry," he says with a wink. Michael's eyes perk up instantly. Ashton thinks it's the first time they've actually smiled at each other since they got here.

-

Calum picks the first Pokémon movie, and Michael nearly cries. Ashton knows how much Michael loves Pokémon, and seeing Calum pick a movie that Michael is so fond of fills his heart with joy. Michael is sitting with his legs perched up on the coffee table, coated with a fresh layer of aloe vera. Calum brings in his enormous bag of kettle corn from the previous night and sits down next to the sunburned boy.

Luke is nowhere to be seen.

Ashton's pretty sure he's up in his room again, probably having snuck away while they were doing dishes. Calum shoots him a disappointed glance.

"Thought you said you were gonna talk things out with him?"

"I did! I mean, I thought I did. But then he started acting weird again," Ashton says. It's true though, he did talk to Luke that morning and he thought everything was okay, until Luke started acting weird again on the beach. "I might go talk to him again, see what's up."

The movie's opening sequence begins to play and Calum shoves a handful of kettle corn in his mouth. "Try not to upset him this time," he calls out as Ashton begins up the stairs.

Ashton finds Luke in his room lying on his side, shirtless, facing away from him. "Luke, what's wrong?"

Luke doesn't turn around, but he says, "I am fine."

Ashton rolls his eyes and sits at the edge of his bed. "That's bullshit and we both know it. You were acting weird on the beach today. Did something upset you?"

He can see Luke shake his head. "Then what is it?"

After a short pause, Luke rolls over, now facing Ashton. He doesn't notice anything different.

"On the beach, I thought about what happened last night, and my dick got hard," Luke says, completely catching him off-guard. "I did not know how to control it. I did not want you or Michael or Calum to see, so I tried to distance myself from you all. The swimming shorts made it more noticeable, too."

_'Swimming shorts.' How innocent can this guy get?_

"Oh," is all Ashton can say.

Luke bites his lip and his eyes fall in embarrassment. "It is still hard, even now."

Luke hasn't changed out of his swim trunks, and sure enough, there is an extremely prominent bulge. "I was able to will it away when I could, but it has been this way since dinner and I cannot seem to will it away this time."

Ashton settles onto his side to become more level with Luke. For someone with an erection, he's certainly not happy about it. He can see what looks to be shame in Luke's face, his ocean blue eyes saddened with embarrassment.

"Luke, it's okay," Ashton says. He wants to put his hands on Luke, anywhere on Luke, but he can't yet. He has a feeling where this is going. He just has to take it slow. "I told you this morning, it's a normal thing that happens."

"You did not say it happens when I _think_ about sex." Luke's eyes narrow, but he's not angry. He's more... betrayed?

"Oh. Well, yeah, it does. Most of the time it's easy to get rid of since it's just a thought, you know? Not the actual thing?"

"But I was not able to get rid of it for nearly the whole day," Luke says. "It is starting to hurt."

Ashton bites his lip and he can feel his own dick twitch at the thought of getting off with Luke again, but he wants to try something different this time.

"I can help you get rid of it. And I'll show you what you can do when you get hard and I'm not around. Just not in public, of course."

He can't believe what he's about to do. Luke looks up at him with curious eyes, awaiting his instructions.

"Well, I guess you should take them off? Your swim trunks, I mean." Ashton's more nervous than he was last night; he can feel beads of sweat already forming on his forehead and his palms are getting clammy. He doesn't know what to expect from Luke. Luke could take off at any time, tell Michael and Calum all about their sexual endeavors and never speak to him again. His mind is racing thinking about all the possibilities even though he knows deep down that Luke wouldn't do those things because he's just  _too innocent._

But Luke sheds off his swim trunks and his erection springs free, landing on his abdomen with a slap. Ashton's eyes widen because it actually  _looks_ painful. It looks harder than his has ever been, and he wonders how Luke isn't even wincing because he definitely would be. It's hard and it's _big,_ bigger than Ashton had anticipated. He's pretty sure it's a bit bigger than his own, and he's always thought himself to be blessed with an above average penis. His own dick is starting to get hard, but he has to tell himself, this is about Luke, not him.

"So Luke, if you're ever alone and you're like this, this is what you do." Ashton breathes in. "First, get your hand wet. Like, spit in it."

Luke does so questioningly. "Okay, now you just kinda move your hand up and down your dick," Ashton instructs.

Slowly, the blond reaches his hand down to his erection, grasping the base experimentally. "And start moving your hand up and down."

Luke bites his lip as his hand makes its first movement, an upstroke towards the tip. Ashton can see his mouth fall open a bit at the sensation. His chest rises and falls. He lets out a deep sigh of satisfaction and relief with just one motion.

"And back down?" he questions. Ashton nods.

He moves his hand down on his dick, his brow furrowed in concentration as he focuses on moving his hand. He repeats the motions again, up and down. Ashton is definitely hard in his pants now, but he shoves his pride into a corner and sucks it up because this is about  _Luke._

"Ashton?"

"Yeah?"

Luke's hand is still moving, but he turns to Ashton and asks, "Will you do this with me?"

Fuck, is all Ashton can think. "I believe I can get a better understanding if I see you do it," Luke says, a hint of timidness hidden in his formal tone.

Ashton is kind of relieved though, because his dick is also achingly hard. Not as hard as Luke's, but it's enough to cloud his mind with lust and thoughts of Luke pleasuring him and he has to remind himself  _it's about Luke._ He yanks his sweatpants down to his ankles and lets his own erection out. He can hear Luke's breath hitch as his eyes fall upon it for the first time. Laughing, he spits into his own hand and brings it down.

"Watch me," he says.

He does exactly what he's told Luke to do, just more firmly. He starts a slow rhythm up and down his dick and slick noises of his hand rubbing against his dick fill the room. He lets out his own sigh of relief because now that he's doing it, he can't remember the last time he's jerked off.

On the upstroke, he squeezes the tip and looks over at Luke. "You try it now."

Luke nods and starts up again, his hand moving similarly to Ashton's. His movements are still hesitant and unconfident, so Ashton resumes on his own dick to guide him. He can feel Luke's eyes on him, paying close attention to the way his hand moves, how his wrist flicks, how he squeezes the tip a bit more on the upstroke.

"Don't ever try to do this dry," Ashton murmurs. "It doesn't feel good." He licks at his hand and brings the lubrication down. He's starting to build up a faster rhythm, mostly because he's  _dying_ to get off and Luke is going painfully slow.

Luke seems to notice this, as he picks up the pace on his own dick. Ashton sees his legs twitch, a sign that he's feeling good. He swallows, his brow still wrinkled with concentration, but his motions are becoming more fluid, more confident.

This is about Luke, Ashton reminds himself, so he leans over and presses a kiss into the nape of the blond boy's neck.

"Oh!" he gasps, his free hand coming up to wrap around Ashton's head, locking it into place. Ashton definitely doesn't have a problem with that. He continues to kiss along Luke's exposed collarbone and begins to feel the bed move with Luke's movements. His fingers trace his hipbones, gracing along the skin there, until he's close enough to Luke's hand that he could grab it himself.

He does just that.

Shooing his hand away, Ashton takes hold of Luke's cock. It's hot and heavy in his hand, still slick with saliva and precome that his hand easily glides up and down. Luke's breathing quickens as Ashton strokes up and down, doing exactly what he said at the beginning. With each squeeze at the tip, Ashton can feel more precome leaking out, making Luke's cock slicker and the noises even louder.

"Ashton," Luke manages between breaths, "kiss me. Please."

This is the first time Ashton has heard him beg.

He doesn't let it go to waste, leaning in quickly and catching Luke's lips in a feverish kiss. His tongue immediately enters his mouth and Luke moans into it as Ashton's hand speeds up on his cock. Just then, he feels Luke's hand on his own, and he has to pull away to bite back a moan.

"Luke, you don't need to—"

"I want to," Luke cuts him off, his hand starting to move. "I do not want to be the only one deriving pleasure from this."

Ashton kisses him again, sighing as Luke's grip tightens on his dick. He can't believe Luke, how eager and curious he seems to be about all of this. Luke's hand moves in ways that Ashton's can't. It's not bad, it's just  _different._ He's gotten plenty of handjobs in the past, but none of them felt like Luke. Luke's hand feels like actual bliss, smooth and gentle against his cock yet passionate and fierce with a drive to bring him pleasure. He can only imagine what his mouth is like.

"Ashton," Luke whispers against his lips. "Your hand, it feels amazing."

Ashton is so lost in Luke that he can barely respond. "Y-Yours does too," is what he can manage.

Luke's eyes meet his, blue to hazel, and he says, "I-I want to see you come."

"Fuck, Luke," Ashton moans as he feels a ripple of pleasure at the pit of his abdomen. It sends him all the more closer to orgasm, knowing that Luke wants to see it, and god knows Ashton wants to see Luke come too. He wants to see if Luke's eyes roll back again. He wants to feel Luke come all over his hand.

He can feel Luke's body twitching. "Ashton, I think it's going to happen again," he whimpers.

"Are you gonna come, Luke?" Ashton whispers against Luke's ear, biting the lobe.

Luke nods as he gulps, his whimpers becoming louder. "Oh, Ashton, I—oh my—Ashton!"

It's as if the only thing Luke can say is Ashton's name, and that's enough to send Ashton over the top. He's so damn close and hearing Luke call out his name is only bringing him closer.

"Fuck, fuck, Luke. You're so hot," Ashton groans as he looks down at Luke's cock. It looks like it's ready to burst, and Ashton wants it all. "Shit, Luke, 'm gonna come too."

"I want to see it," Luke says through heavy breaths, but then Ashton catches exactly what he wanted to see.

Luke's eyes begin to flutter. "Oh, oh fuck—"

It's the first time he hears Luke swear.

Luke comes then, and Ashton doesn't know what to watch, hot spurts of come shooting out from his cock onto his hand or his eyes rolling all the way back in his head as his mouth opens in a silent moan. Both sights send Ashton over the edge, cursing Luke's name as he feels his own release, his come landing all over Luke's hand. His eyes stay on Luke the entire time as the boy struggles to catch his breath without choking on his own moans.

Ashton releases Luke's dick. His hand is completely covered with Luke's semen, and it's unlike anything he's ever seen. It's thick and there's so much of it, something that Ashton's only ever seen in porn. His tongue darts out to taste it on one of his fingers. It's damn good as far as semen goes, because Ashton knows it can be pretty nasty, but maybe it's because it's  _Luke,_ a boy sent from the stars, and it's like he's tasting a little bit of heaven.

"Ashton." Luke's voice manages to snap him out of his lustful trance. He blinks lazily, his eyelids heavy from orgasm.

"Luke," Ashton voices back, smiling.

"What did we just do? It was different from last night." Back to classic Luke, Ashton notices.

"When you were touching yourself, that's called masturbating," Ashton says. "And what I did to you and you did to me, that's called a handjob."

Luke's mouth forms into an 'o' and he nods. "That makes a lot of sense."

Ashton can't help but chuckle as he presses another kiss into Luke's neck. They're both sticky and sweaty and in desperate need of a shower. It smells like sex and Luke, and Ashton can't describe how Luke smells besides lavender and outer space.

He'll never know what outer space smells like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this fic is just malum crack and lashton smut lol


	5. illuminate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashton starts to worry that he's taking things too far. Luke really doesn't mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (blowjobs and fluff. this chapter is blowjobs and fluff)

Ashton asks Luke if it's okay for him to shower in his bathroom, since he really doesn't want to go back downstairs to his room sticky and reeking of sex. Luke agrees and even suggests they shower together to save time. Ashton is hesitant at first, but then Luke starts to shower without him and he finds himself rushing in after him.

"I can wash your back, if you'd like," Ashton offers. Luke nods, turning his back to him. He squirts some soap into his hands and rubs it into Luke's skin, feeling the muscles unwind beneath his fingers. Luke sighs and Ashton has to try really hard not to chub up again.

He can't believe that Luke has a couple inches on him. Though he's the walking definition of innocence, he certainly doesn't look to be. He looks to be about 6'4", and his broad stature and sharp jawline make it look like he's some kind of model. Nobody could ever guess that he's from the stars, Ashton is sure of it. When he's finished with Luke's back, the boy offers to do it to him.

As Luke massages the soap into Ashton's back, he says, "Thank you for showing me that."

"Um, no problem," Ashton says with a chuckle. "Did you, uh, like it?"

It's like he can feel Luke nod. "It was a very pleasurable experience. I hope we can do it again."

Ashton's muscles tense under Luke's fingertips. "Is something wrong?" the blond boy asks.

"No, um." Ashton's at a loss for words. It's not that he doesn't want to do it again, because he would  _really_ like to do it again, but he still feels that stinging guilt that comes with stripping Luke of his innocence one day at a time.

And that's when it hits him. The note that came with Luke, the one that says that innocence demands to be soiled, has _something_ to do with Luke losing his innocence. He still doesn't know what it means or what's in the box, but he feels one step closer to figuring it out.

One step out of a thousand, at least.

Besides, losing innocence doesn't have to mean teaching Luke sexual acts. That's what he feels guilty about. He knows he's taking advantage of the boy's innocence, and although he's making him feel a pleasure he's never known, it's still so  _wrong_ to Ashton. He doesn't want it to feel wrong. He wants to be able to pin Luke down and do bad things to him without it eating away at him. Every time Luke looks at him with those starry eyes, it's so hard to resist.

"Do you not want to have sex with me?" Luke asks bluntly (Ashton panics slightly, but then remembers he didn't tell Luke what actual sex is). There doesn't seem to be any hurt in his voice, thank god, but Ashton still feels bad.

"No! I mean, yes. I don't know," Ashton sighs.

Luke's hands drop from his back. "It is okay if you do not want to. After all, you were the one who showed me everything. I will not pester you if you do not want to continue."

"It's not that I don't want to," Ashton admits, turning back around to face Luke. "I just feel kinda bad, you know? There's so much about this world that you don't know and I feel like all I'm doing is taking advantage of you sexually."

"If that is what you are worried about, why not show me the other things? Things that are not sexual," Luke says.

"Like what?"

Luke shrugs as he reaches for shampoo. "You are the earthling here. You tell me."

Ashton can't help but chuckle at his sass. He has a couple ideas, and maybe Michael has to give in to doing the fun stuff earlier than he wanted.

-

They join Calum and Michael for the movie to make things seem less suspicious. And it works, although Ashton does get a questioning glance from Calum at both of their wet heads. He shrugs it off, though, and Michael is too invested in the movie to notice anything.

None of them talk during the movie, but by the end Michael is the one crying. Calum scoffs as he shoves a handful of the kettle corn in his mouth. The bag is halfway eaten now.

"Now you're the one crying," he mutters, and Michael glares at him.

Luke is staring curiously at the ending credits. "Did you like the movie?" Ashton asks him.

"I did, although I cannot even begin to grasp how those creatures could do such things."

Michael bursts out laughing, only to immediately wince at his sensitive skin. Calum laughs, crawling over to the TV and shutting the movie off. "Thank you for picking that movie, but I still hate you," Michael tells him with a pout.

Calum shoots him a wide grin and stands up. "The night is still young. What should we do now?" he announces.

"I'm not moving," Michael grunts. "If you guys wanna do something, feel free, but my movement is limited for as long as my legs are burnt."

"We could go check out a club or something," Calum suggests, looking at Ashton and Luke. "Though Luke didn't really like the alcohol from a few nights ago so I don't think he'd enjoy it very much."

"Can we get ice cream?" Luke asks suddenly, and the three pairs of eyes turn to him instantly. They all giggle. "What?"

"Nothing," Calum says. "That was just... really cute."

Ashton quite likes the idea of ice cream at nine o'clock at night. Plus, he kind of wants to watch Luke and how his tongue works again—

"I'm down," he says, smiling at Luke. "Calum, I know you're always up for ice cream."

"That I am," the tan boy says, heading over to grab the rental car keys. Luke and Ashton stand up and follow him towards the door.

"Bring me back a chocolate chip cookie dough!" is the last thing they hear before they walk out.

They go to the ice cream place they went to before because Luke really liked their mint chocolate chip. Calum's a sucker for any kind of ice cream, and Ashton's a simple guy who just likes chocolate. Calum orders probably the biggest sundae Ashton's ever seen, saying the two can just share it, but Ashton has a feeling Calum's going to be the one eating most of it. Luke gets his two scoops of mint chocolate chip in a waffle cone, and they all sit out on one of the benches overlooking the street.

Luke nips at his ice cream, giving it cute little kitten licks and wrapping his lips around the sweet treat. He gazes out at the street, curiously watching as people pass him by. Ashton doesn't know he's staring until Calum taps his shoulder.

"Um, earth to Ashton," he says around a mouthful of chocolate ice cream.

Ashton blinks and turns towards his black-haired friend. "What?"

Calum leans in closer. "Did you and Luke do stuff together?" he whispers.

Ashton's eyes quickly fly over to Luke, who's still sitting there happily eating his ice cream. He doesn't seem to be paying any attention to them. "No," Ashton whispers back.

Calum gives him the 'I call bullshit' look Ashton's known since grade school. "Don't even try to lie to me. I saw that both of you came out of Luke's room with wet hair and you were just looking at him like you're ready to pounce on him."

Just then, Luke interrupts with, "Night life is beautiful here."

The two boys turn towards him with confused expressions. "All of these places with lights that illuminate the entire street. It reminds me of home," he sighs, giving his ice cream another lick.

Ashton's heart hurts for Luke. Though he doesn't really miss home himself, he can imagine what it would be like. Not to mention Luke isn't even  _from_ Earth, nor does he have any clue what his 'life' was like back up in Praesepe. He must feel extremely out of place, which is something Ashton can definitely relate to.

"What was home like though? You said you don't have any recollection of what it was like since you were, y'know, a star," Calum says.

"I do not know exactly. All I know is that I feel some sort of pain in my chest whenever I see such lights," Luke replies, taking a bite of his waffle cone.

"Homesickness," Calum tells him. "That's probably it. Although, I still don't know exactly how that's possible if you don't even know what your home was like. But hey, you feel what you feel."

_You feel what you feel._

Luke finishes his ice cream in silence, and Ashton can't help but see how  _sad_ he looks. He doesn't know how he's missed it up until now. How Luke had looked longingly at the lanterns at that one restaurant, how silent he became when Ashton bought him the glass sculpture of the zodiac. Luke misses  _home,_ whatever or wherever that may be for him. He's hopelessly confused and lost, two things Ashton has definitely felt before. It's the reason why he was couch-ridden before the vacation, after all.

As predicted, Calum ends up finishing most of the sundae on his own, with Ashton taking a couple bites here and there. He gets Michael his chocolate chip cookie dough, much to his dismay, and they head home in silence. As soon as they walk in, they see Michael in the same place, the bag of kettle corn splayed across his lap, watching some sort of animal documentary. He squeals as Calum hands him his ice cream.

Without a word, Luke heads up to his room. It doesn't surprise Ashton in the slightest, considering he sort of knows how Luke is feeling, but he tries to ignore it and sits down on the floor next to the coffee table as Calum takes a seat next to Michael.

"Ashton and Luke hooked up," Calum states, and Michael starts choking.

"We did not!" Ashton exclaims, hoping Luke wouldn't hear.

Michael raises an eyebrow at him, then at Calum. "What?"

"They hooked up, I'm telling you," Calum says with a shrug. "That's why they're being so weird around each other."

"Oh yeah, I noticed that," Michael adds.

"We didn't... oh my god," Ashton groans, slapping his forehead. "We did  _not_ hook up."

"Then explain why the both of you came out of his room with wet hair. It's almost as if you two, I don't know,  _showered together?"_

Even though Calum's hitting the nail right on the head, Ashton really doesn't want his friends to know what they've been doing together. He files through his brain for excuses, and none of them are making sense. He feels like he can still get away with it though. "Okay, we did shower together," Ashton admits, "but nothing more than that."

Both Calum and Michael give him a suggestive look. He puts on a sturdy poker face, hoping that they won't see through it. "That's kinda weird," Michael says with a scrunch of his nose. "That you two showered together."

"And you two haven't?" Ashton questions, smirking, knowing that the two have done it in the past.

"Okay, that was  _one_ time!" Calum crosses his arms and pouts. "We were both covered in mud and Michael's mom didn't want us getting mud everywhere upstairs so she made us shower together in the downstairs bathroom!"

Michael chuckles. "Oh yeah, Ash. We were covered in mud. You two, however, were probably covered in each other's jizz."

Calum bursts into laughter along with Michael, and Ashton can feel his cheeks getting hot with embarrassment and frustration. And it's annoying, because they're right. They're so right. Ashton just doesn't want to give them that satisfaction.

He really shouldn't have showered with Luke.

After the laughter dies down, Calum looks at Ashton sympathetically. "Look, Ash, if you're hooking up with Luke, we don't care. I mean, it's kinda weird that you two are hooking up considering he's an alien from outer space, but if he helps you get off better than your own right hand does, then just go for it, man."

Michael nods in agreement. "Yeah, plus, you were pretty much comatose before you got here, and now look at you! Maybe a good lay was all you needed to lift your spirits."

Ashton can't help but feel a little annoyed by that comment. Luke is so much more than a good lay to him, but Michael wouldn't know that because he's a clueless idiot. However, he's glad that neither of them seem to pick up on how  _wrong_ it is of him to take advantage of Luke's lack of experience and knowledge, but maybe it really is just him who thinks it's wrong.

"Just try not to be too loud, okay?" Calum says, snickering.

-

It's one in the morning when Ashton hears Michael and Calum go upstairs for the night. He's been in his room for the past hour or so, reading the note over and over and trying to make sense of it. Does the gift mean Luke, or what's in the box? What is the innocence that the note is referring to? What will happen if Luke's innocence is completely soiled? What does innocence even mean here? Ashton grips at his head, frustrated. He's starting to get a headache from reading the same words over multiple times.

All he can hear is deafening silence when the clock hits one thirty, meaning Michael and Calum have probably gone to sleep. He worries about Luke, though, since the starboy seemed to be very distraught when he turned in for the night. He wonders if Luke even went to sleep.

The next thing he knows, he's climbing the stairs and heading towards Luke's room. He opens the door as quietly as he can. The first thing he sees is a shirtless Luke under the covers, turned towards the window facing out at the night sky. Ashton lets out a sigh of relief, now knowing the boy has indeed fallen asleep.

"Ashton?"

Well, scratch that.

Luke turns around to face the boy standing in his doorway. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, um, I just wanted to check on you. You just went upstairs without saying anything, and I just felt really bad, I guess?" Ashton wants to slap himself in the face.

The blond sits up in his bed and leans his back against the pillow. "I am okay. I guess I was feeling a bit of homesickness, as Calum said."

Ashton takes a step into Luke's room, closing the door behind him, and sits at the edge of his bed. "You know, I can kind of understand how you feel," he says, looking straight into Luke's oceanic eyes. "You must feel really out of place here on Earth."

Luke looks down at his hands. His face is twisted in a way that looks like he might cry. He nods. "There are just so many things about this world that I do not understand. It is as if everyone on this planet knows where they belong, how everything works. Meanwhile, I cannot even understand the most basic human functions."

Ashton can't read Luke's tone. It sounds like hurt, frustration, and sorrow mixed in one. He's never heard such a tone come from Luke. He's used to the monotone, robotic-sounding voice, but now the boy is showing actual emotion, both through his words and his face.

"I can assure you, a lot of people on this planet don't know where they belong. Hell, I don't." Ashton laughs dryly. He swings his legs onto the bed and leans up against the pillow next to Luke's. "Before I got here, I was absolutely miserable. Michael and Calum brought me on this vacation because I wasn't leaving my house. I was just drowning in self-pity and confusion the whole time, not really living, you know?"

Luke turns to look at him again. "I know how things work, yes. But there are a lot of times where I don't feel like I have a purpose on this planet. Humans are just... really insignificant, you know? One less person on this planet won't make a difference," he continues.

Ashton feels bad. He really shouldn't be talking about this kind of stuff with Luke, but it's out in the open now, and words are flooding out of his mouth, words that have never been spoken to anybody, not even Michael and Calum. "I didn't leave my house because I didn't feel like I had to. I was ready to just rot away in there. If Michael and Calum hadn't gotten me off my ass that day and brought me here, I probably would have."

Then Luke does something Ashton has never expected him to do. He shifts closer to his side, turns his head towards him, and kisses him.

Ashton's eyes widen at first, but close soon after as he feels Luke's soft lips pressed against his. It's a kiss riddled with tenderness and innocence, and it nearly takes Ashton's breath away. Luke's lips move slowly against his, the boy's fingers gently resting on his cheek. When he pulls away, Ashton is left completely speechless.

"I wish you never thought like that," Luke murmurs. "It... makes me sad that you would ever think your life is insignificant. You have taught me a lot about this world. Though I certainly feel out of place on this planet, without you, I would be completely lost. Your existence has made my existence worthwhile."

Ashton has to remind himself to breathe. He's at a loss for words, and all he can think about is how Luke's hand feels against his cheek. It's cupping him gently, a kind of touch that Ashton has never felt in his life.

Luke has never looked so beautiful in the moonlight.

"You are important," the blond boy goes on. "Michael and Calum care about you a lot. I see it every day. And I hope you know that I care about you a lot as well. This world needs you, Ashton. _I_ need you."

Luke kisses him again.

If Luke wasn't kissing him, he'd surely be crying. He can feel tears prickling in the corners of his eyes, but they don't fall. If they did fall, Luke would wipe them away. Ashton should feel guilty. He doesn't know what he's doing. He shouldn't be kissing Luke, he shouldn't be doing sexual things with Luke, but everything just feels  _right._

"Luke." Ashton pulls away as the guilt crosses his mind again. "I can't... I can't keep doing this."

"Doing what?" A look of disappointment appears on the boy's face.

" _This._ Kissing. Sex. It's not right," Ashton says. "You don't know anything about this world. By doing all of these things with you, I'm basically just using you for sex."

Luke's expression changes from disappointment to confusion. "Do you feel as if you are using me for sex?"

Does he? Does he  _feel_ like he's using Luke for sex?

"I don't think so?" It comes out as more of a question than anything.

"Do you enjoy what we do together?" Luke asks. Ashton nods. "Do you enjoy what we do together _besides_ sex?"

"Of course," Ashton answers instantly.

"Correct me if I am wrong, Ashton, but if you were truly using me for sex, you would not want to be with me in any other context," Luke says. "And though I may be unfamiliar with this planet and its workings, I am still an adult human. I am capable of making my own decisions, and I am deciding that the things we do together are okay."

It relieves Ashton of some of his guilt, but not all of it. He knows what Luke is saying is true, but while Luke does indeed have an adult human body, he's only been on the planet for a couple days. Not to mention he still doesn't understand human emotion and psychology, and how this whole thing they have going on can be really toxic—

"Ashton, I thoroughly enjoy the sexual things we do together. However, if you are hesitant or decide you do not wish to continue doing those things with me, then I will not—"

"No!" Ashton doesn't mean to cut him off, but he does. "I... I do want to do things with you. I'm just worried that I'll get carried away or I might force you into doing things that you don't want to do."

"Ashton, during all the things we have done together up until now, you have shown me nothing but courtesy. You ask for my consent. You make sure I am okay to continue. I do not believe you will ever force me into doing things with you, and if you do get carried away, I am capable enough to let you know," Luke says.

Ashton knows Luke is right. He would never want to force himself onto Luke, and he knows the starboy is capable of defending himself. He just doesn't know why it feels so wrong, yet so right.

Luke's hand is still on his cheek. "I would like to kiss you again," he says. "Is that okay?"

 _Of course it's okay,_ Ashton thinks as he nods and Luke kisses him again.

He's a bit taken aback at how fiercely Luke is kissing him. There's so much desire behind his kiss. It's almost as if he's the one wanting to initiate something, but Ashton can't let that go to his head. Instead, he breathes Luke in, his lavender and outer space, and kisses back with just as much ferocity. He places his hand on Luke's hip and brings their bodies closer together, but that's all he does.

Luke pulls away, barely, and whispers against his lips, "Ashton." He connects their lips again, but with each breath, Ashton can tell he's trying to ask for something. "Ashton, please."

"Please what?" Ashton asks as he begins to pepper kisses down Luke's jaw.

"The, um... my—it's hard again," Luke says sheepishly, a blush appearing on his cheek.

Ashton chuckles as he looks down, and sure enough, Luke's pitching a tent. "Would you... help me get rid of it?"

The older man can feel his dick twitch at that. "Y-Yeah. I can do that." An idea sparks in his head. "I can, um, show you something different? If that's okay."

Luke nods. "And if at any point you want me to stop, please tell me," Ashton says. The boy nods again and Ashton takes a deep breath as he pulls the covers off of Luke and grabs at his erection. He sighs at Ashton's touch, firm yet gentle, and his head falls back against the headboard. Ashton palms him through his boxers, feeling his length grow beneath his hand. He shifts his body so that he's straddling Luke, continuing to place light kisses along the boy's jaw and neck as he runs his hands down his sides. Sitting up, he lets his fingers brush against Luke's torso as he moves further down Luke's legs.

"Okay?"

Luke nods and Ashton lowers himself back down again to place kisses along his chest, resting his hands on Luke's hips. His tongue flicks out against one of Luke's nipples and the boy gasps and jerks slightly at the new sensation. "I'm sorry," Luke says.

Ashton doesn't respond, he just laughs and continues down Luke's body until he gets to the waistband of his boxers. He moves his mouth against Luke's clothed bulge and slowly pulls them down, allowing his erection to spring free. Ashton takes it in his hand and gives it a few light tugs. He looks up to Luke, who's looking back down at him expectantly. The boy nods, and Ashton takes that as the okay to flick his tongue against the tip of Luke's cock.

Luke's breath hitches, but he hasn't seen (or felt) anything yet. Ashton swirls his tongue around Luke's tip slowly, allowing him to adjust to the new feeling. He's letting out little whimpers of pleasure as Ashton tongues at his dick. Then, with no warning, Ashton wraps his lips around the tip and sucks lightly. Luke's hips lift off the bed and Ashton has to push him down so he doesn't go too far into his mouth.

"Oh, Ashton," Luke moans, his voice sounding an octave higher from this newfound pleasure.

Ashton doesn't let up one bit. With the tip of Luke's cock in his mouth, he bobs his head up and down slowly, going further down and moving his tongue in circles with each motion. He swallows thickly around Luke's length when he reaches the halfway point, coating it with more of his saliva and making it easier to go all the way down. All of Luke's breaths are coming out as moans, high-pitched and almost panicked. It's as if he doesn't know how to register the new feeling as his legs twitch around Ashton, making it harder for the older man to keep a steady pace.

"Luke," Ashton says once he pulls off.

"I'm sorry," Luke whimpers. "It's just... it feels so good."

"I know baby, but you gotta stay still, okay?"

Luke nods slowly as he straightens his legs, and Ashton resumes where he left off. He manages to build up a more steady pace now that Luke's legs have stopped moving. Luke is leaking precome all over Ashton's tongue and he fucking  _loves_ it. He can feel and taste Luke all over his tongue, hot and heavy. He grasps the base of Luke's cock and strokes his length in time with his mouth.

"Ashton, oh my," Luke whines. His fingers thread in Ashton's hair. "Oh—fuck, Ashton. It's s-so amazing. I—" He cuts himself off with a wrecked moan.

Ashton hums around Luke's dick, moving his head and tongue even faster, wanting to feel and see Luke come again. "A-Ashton, I'm going to come, please, get off."

Needless to say, he doesn't.

"Ashton, please. It's c-coming—"

Ashton responds by sucking harder and faster.

Luke comes with a cry of Ashton's name, thick strands of come landing everywhere in Ashton's mouth and down his throat. Ashton watches as Luke's chest heaves and his head falls back, his eyes rolling into his head. It's a sight Ashton could never get sick of.

He pulls off and swallows all of Luke's load. It goes down so smoothly, and it tastes just like  _Luke,_ lavender and outer space. Ashton sighs contently and glances down to see Luke panting, body covered in sweat, and eyelids heavy.

"A-Ashton. Why didn't you pull off?" he asks quietly.

"Wanted to taste you," Ashton answers with a shrug. He collapses down next to Luke, body exhausted from today's activities and holding himself up.

Luke pulls his boxers back up and turns towards him. "I want to do the same for you."

Ashton shakes his head and smiles, cupping Luke's cheek like the boy had done before. "Some other time. Tonight was about you."

Luke gives him a look that says 'are you sure?' Ashton nods and pulls the covers over the two of them, allowing his body to settle in next to Luke's. "Is it okay if I sleep with you tonight?" he asks.

"Y-Yes," Luke answers, his voice timid. He offers a small smile, and Ashton graciously accepts it.

Ashton stares into Luke's eyes for what seems like an eternity that night. He can't get over how the boy's eyes seem to glow, even in only the moonlight. His curls droop over his face sometimes, in which case Ashton gently tucks them back behind his ear. He caresses Luke's cheek, fuzzy with the small amount of stubble, and he kisses his forehead. He doesn't even register when he falls asleep, but he feels a hand around his waist and lips against his nose, and that's all he could really ask for.

He drifts into outer space as he falls asleep in Luke's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i seriously did not mean for it to get this fluffy lol but hey shit happens


	6. cosmic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys go parasailing, Luke gets drunk for the first time, and Ashton realizes some things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to those who are reading this, thank you for sticking with me through this weird plot. I'm happy that people seem to like it! Thank you for leaving kudos and comments, they are greatly appreciated :)

Ashton wakes up and, unsurprisingly, Luke is already awake. The boy is staring down at him as he blinks his eyes open and rubs the sleep from them. "Good morning, Luke," he yawns, stretching out his arms.

"Good morning, Ashton," Luke replies with a bright smile. "Were you able to sleep well?"

He nods and looks over Luke's shoulder to check the digital clock. It reads 9:24, meaning there's a possibility of Calum being awake and almost no possibility of Michael being awake. He pushes the covers off and swings his legs over the bed. "I should probably go back to my room, in case Calum and Michael aren't awake yet. Don't want them to see me coming out of your room." He panics, realizing how rude that sounds, and quickly adds, "I mean, they would get suspicious, and—"

"Ashton. It is okay. I understand," Luke chuckles. "Although, you could just tell them you came to wake me up or something along the lines of that. In case they are awake, that is."

Ashton feels like an idiot. He shoots Luke an apologetic smile before leaving, shutting the door quietly behind him. He doesn't hear or smell anything, probably meaning neither of his friends are awake yet. He sighs in relief and heads back downstairs where, sure enough, there is not a soul in sight.

He settles down onto one of the stools at the kitchen island, wondering what Michael would be up for doing today, since his legs are cooked well-done. He wants to do something adventurous this time, not just shopping or going around trying delicious foods (well, he does like the food part, but he just wants to do something a little more exciting this time). Plus, he said he'd show Luke more of the world. Well, as much of the world he can show him within the confines of Key West, Florida.

They could go snorkeling. He remembers Calum talking about it on the plane right before they landed. They could go to the zoo or an aquarium, since Calum is a sucker for animals and he's pretty sure Michael would enjoy it too. Though Calum doesn't like the way zoos treat their animals, maybe they could find one with decent morals, or maybe Calum could suck it up for a day and indulge himself in the sight of exotic animals. Ashton doesn't mind what they do, as long as it's something outlandish and fun.

He hears footsteps coming down the stairs followed by, "Good morning, sunshine!" It's Calum, obviously.

"Good morning," Ashton murmurs sleepily, still trying to shake off his drowsiness.

His friend stands across from him at the kitchen island and leans down on his arms. "Whatcha wanna do today?"

"Something fun," Ashton tells him. "If Michael's not gonna be a whiny bitch, that is."

Calum snorts, "He's always going to be one." Ashton laughs at that, because yeah, he is.

"But really," he says, "I wanna do something fun today. Like snorkeling. You said you wanted to do that back on the plane, right?"

Calum smiles and nods excitedly. "Yeah! I'll go get the travel magazine. It's up in my room."

Within a minute, he goes up to his room and returns with a Key West activities magazine, filled with bright pictures of different sights and activities for any visitor or tourist's vacation. He flips through it and finds the section on snorkeling. "It looks like there are two places that offer snorkeling. Ah, shit. They're both closed today."

Ashton shrugs. "That's fine. We can just find another thing to do. One that doesn't involve the beach or a lot of movement, for Michael, you know?"

Calum nods and flips through the magazine slower this time. Sure enough, there is a section on the zoos and aquariums, which Calum stares at for a few seconds before turning the page. Ashton can see him wince a little. "Oh! What about this?" the boy says suddenly. He's pointing at a parasailing ad. "If you're not too afraid of heights."

Ashton doesn't think any of them are afraid of heights, so he thinks the idea is perfect. He nods, a wide grin spread on his face. "That looks so fun! If Mikey decides not to be a dickhead today, maybe he'll come along too. The breeze could help his legs."

"What about my legs?" a sleepy voice says. Michael trudges down the stairs, his poor calves on display. They don't look  _terrible,_ but they don't look good either. Ashton can see that they're starting to peel.

"Just saying that we could go parasailing today if you're not going to be a whiny bitch," Calum says. Michael flips him off and opens the fridge to pull out the orange juice.

"I'm down." Michael's agreement surprises the both of them. "They don't hurt as much today as they did yesterday. I'll just be sure to put on extra lotion. And yeah, maybe the breeze will keep them cool."

Calum bounces up on his feet and whips his phone out of his pocket. "Great! I'll give them a call, see if we can reserve a spot. You think Luke would enjoy it?"

"He's from space, dude," Michael deadpans. "I'd be really surprised if he  _doesn't_ enjoy it."

"Enjoy what?" Luke appears from the stairs.

"Parasailing," Ashton tells him.

Calum has his phone pressed up to his ear as he moves to the living room, away from the commotion. "What is that?" Luke asks.

"It's where a boat takes you out into the ocean and you sit in a harness and you're lifted up by the wind while the harness is attached to a wire that's anchored to the boat," Michael explains. "And a giant parachute shoots out from behind you and you just kinda drift along while you're a couple hundred feet in the air."

Luke just looks utterly confused. "Oh, shit," Michael realizes. "You have no idea what any of that is." The blond boy nods.

"He'll figure it out once we get there," Ashton says. "You're not afraid of heights, are you?"

"Heights?"

"Yeah, like being high up in the air," Ashton tells him.

Luke shrugs. "I do not think I am. Although, I have no way of knowing. And while I do not understand any of what Michael said, I am willing to try it."

Of course he is, Ashton thinks, because this boy will try anything.

(Except swimming, but then again, he was really hard that particular day and didn't want anyone to see. Ashton's going to let that slide for now.)

Calum claps, drawing all attention towards him. "Guess who booked us a two thirty spot for parasailing?" he says with a giant smile.

"Fuck yeah, dude!" Michael says, giving him a high five.

"That being said, you better not complain today." The smile disappears from Calum's face and is replaced with a scowl directed right at the sunburned boy.

Michael groans. "Fucking  _fine._ "

-

After having lunch at a seafood shack (which was very good, by the way), the four boys gather at the parasailing place, which is a small building right near the beach. Ashton's a bit surprised at how small the place is, considering it's for an activity that literally launches people hundreds of feet in the air. Maybe it's all technical and equipment stuff, he figures.

They wait on the beach for the one thirty spot to return from the trip, and their attendant, Matt, explains the various pieces of equipment. There's the harness, of course, that locks the person into the parachute and prevents them from, well, dying, and the life vests, which attach to the harness in a mess of buckles and straps. Calum hops up and down with excitement when he hears the boat approaching, and two couples jump down from the boat along with two attendants. One of them smile widely at the boys.

"You boys are going to have so much fun," the woman says. "Oh my gosh, that was the best thing I've ever experienced."

Calum's the first one on the boat, though he nearly trips walking onto the platform because of how excited he is. The rest of them and Matt follow suit. Another attendant from the previous trip, Dennis, joins them as well, and the boat revs off into the ocean once again.

It starts off slow, with the fresh ocean breeze gently pushing Ashton's hair back. They all settle into their life vests and Matt explains the harness in more depth. Securing it into each of their life vests, he explains that the harness actually acts as their seat, and that they will actually be hanging from just the harness. There are straps that wrap around their thighs, almost giving Ashton a wedgie, but Matt tells them that a wedgie is better than falling and dying.

"You guys will go in pairs, so who's going with who and who wants to go first?"

"Me!" Calum chimes instantly.

"Seriously dude?" Michael says. "I know you're excited but you didn't even ask Ash if he wants to go."

"Excuse me, who's the one who booked this spot?" Calum taunts, sticking his tongue out.

Michael rolls his eyes. "Mike, it's okay," Ashton says. "Cal can go first, but he has to go with you."

" _What?_ " the bleach blond screeches. "Why do I have to go with him?"

"Yeah, why does he have to go with me?" Calum adds. Both of them frown at Ashton, but he only smirks.

"You two could use some quality bonding time," he says. "Just try not to kill each other up there. I won't be able to intervene if one of you decides to be a dick."

The two huff and cross their arms like children who just got grounded, but they mutter 'fine' as Matt gestures them over to the rear of the boat. The rainbow-striped parachute hangs gently in the air. There's a bar attached to the end of it where the harnesses attach. Matt clips Calum's and Michael's harnesses onto the bar and has them sit down right at the edge of the boat. Ashton watches intently, hoping Luke is understanding everything so far.

"This is a very intimidating activity," he murmurs in Ashton's ear.

"You backing out now?" Ashton wonders.

Luke shakes his head and smirks. "Of course not."

Ashton hears Michael whimper. "Okay, I don't know if I wanna do this anymore."

"I thought we told you not to be a whiny bitch," Calum says.

Ignoring their comments, Matt instructs them further. "You're gonna feel us release the parachute, and you're gonna push yourself off the boat with your feet. From there, it should be smooth sailing. When you land back on the boat, just stand up like you normally would. Okay?"

Calum's face brightens while Michael's eyes bulge out of his head in panic. "Wait, I said—!"

"Three, two, one!" Matt calls, cutting Michael off. Calum's the only one who pushes the two off the boat as the parachute releases.

It glides out lowly. Ashton can see his friends' feet hovering just above the ocean's surface. As the cable releases the parachute even further, it ascends higher and higher, until Michael's screams are barely audible. Ashton lets out a sigh of relief now that his ears are free of Michael's obnoxious sounds.

Luke watches in awe as Calum and Michael's bodies become specks in the air. The colorful parachute spreads across them, acting as a beautiful background. Ashton laughs as he pulls out his phone to take a picture of the moment. He wonders if his friends can see him from up there.

"What are you doing?" Luke asks.

"Taking a picture," Ashton replies, only to realize Luke hasn't seen him do that yet. Luke looks at him questioningly. "Um, this is a phone. You can call and text people and take pictures."

"I have seen all three of you use them," Luke says. "I believe I know what the calling and texting features are, but I do not know what a picture is."

"Remember the movie we watched?" Ashton asks. Luke nods. "Taking a picture is like filming a movie, but it's just one frame. It doesn't move like movies do. It's so that people can keep memories of things that happen."

He points the camera at Calum and Michael. Luke watches as he taps the circular button at the bottom, snapping a picture of his two friends up in the air. He opens his camera roll and shows Luke the newly taken photograph. "See?"

Luke gazes at the picture, intrigued. "And," Ashton continues, opening his camera again. He zooms in on his friends, although their faces still aren't completely visible. He takes a picture anyway, figuring it'll make a good memory. "You can zoom in."

"That is very interesting," Luke says, smiling. "Thank you for showing me that."

The two of them look back up at their friends. Ashton can see Calum flashing a thumbs up and he hears Luke laugh from beside him. Glancing up at the taller boy, he sees him with his mouth slightly agape, a look of amazement twinkling in his eyes. The blue matches the ocean. He finds himself smiling and wondering if Luke is going to like what they're about to do.

Several minutes pass before they start reeling them in. The parachute dips down and their calves submerge in the ocean for a brief moment before they land back on the boat. They do as they were instructed, standing up and letting their feet plant firmly on the boat.

"Oh my god!" Michael exclaims, and Ashton can't tell if he's terrified or absolutely thrilled. He's breathing really hard and his legs are shaking. "That was fucking  _sick!_ "

Well, Ashton's glad it's the latter.

"You could see everything from up there!" Calum's out of breath from exhilaration. Matt and Dennis undo their harnesses from the parachute. "I can't even explain it dude. You're gonna love it up there."

Ashton chuckles. "I bet."

Once Calum and Michael are released, Matt motions for Ashton and Luke to step up. "Ready guys?"

Ashton turns to Luke and the boy nods firmly. "Yup!" he answers, and the two takes a seat at the edge of the boat like Michael and Calum had done before.

Their attendants clip them in and adjust their straps one more time before starting the countdown. Ashton looks over to Luke once more to see the boy's eyes focused on his feet. He can't read his expression.

"Three!" Calum and Michael count down along with the attendants.

Luke's face twists. Ashton still can't read it.

"Two!"

Luke glances up from his feet and gazes out upon the horizon.

"One!"

The parachute releases while Ashton's still looking at Luke, and he watches as Luke's face light up into one of pure wonder.

Ashton can't help but let out a sudden shout as he's launched into the air. His and Luke's feet skid the ocean's surface and he can hear Luke laugh from beside him. They rise higher and higher into the sky, watching as the boat and Michael and Calum become smaller and smaller. Suddenly Ashton's surrounded by nothing but ocean, air, and Luke.

His feet dangle from the harness. Though he knows he's secure and safe, his heart is racing because his feet are literally on  _nothing._ He swings them experimentally, imagining himself walking on air. The ocean below them is a deep blue, but they're not so far out that they can't see the ocean bottom. He can't see any fish, but from where he is, all he can see is Luke's eyes. The ocean blue really  _does_ match Luke's eyes. It's so much clearer now that it's everywhere below him and around him.

Luke's eyes are the fucking ocean.

His head turns towards the starboy, who looks right back at him. Now, all he can see is the ocean in his eyes, and they're more beautiful than ever.

"Luke," Ashton gasps. He can't help it. The name escapes him unknowingly like a confession of love, involuntary, because everything around him, the ocean, the sky, the breeze, all leads back to the boy right next to him.

Ashton is hundreds of feet in the air, and all he can think about is the boy from outer space.

"This..." Luke murmurs, his voice barely audible. There's nothing to be heard where they are. It's quiet, serene, free from any interruptions or obstructions. Ashton can see everything, the vast space of the ocean, the city spread out in the distance, the vibrant blue of the daytime sky. "Ashton."

"Yeah?" Ashton manages to reply.

"Can you take a picture of this?"

Oh fuck, Ashton realizes, he didn't take his phone out of his pocket. Which means, his phone is hundreds of feet in the air with him, and if he drops it, it's gone forever. Luckily it's snug into the harness, but pulling it out when his body is already shaking is a huge risk.

"I would like to remember this moment," Luke says, and that does it for Ashton.

He lets go of the cords he's been grasping and reaches into his pocket. His fingers feel like they're about to fall off, but he has to do this, he has to take a picture for Luke so he can remember this moment for the rest of his life. He opens the camera and takes a picture of the city skyline and their feet above the ocean. He turns the camera towards Luke and says, "Smile!" The boy gives him the most euphoric smile he's ever seen. His heart lurches and he nearly drops his phone.

"Now," Ashton says, switching the camera to the front. "to take a picture of us."

Luke leans his head in towards Ashton instinctively. The two smile as Ashton snaps the photo of them with the rainbow parachute and the midday sky as the background. Satisfied, Ashton shoves his phone back into his pocket, making sure it's secured by the harness.

"So," he says, "does this, um, bring back any memories?"

"No," Luke replies, almost sounding disappointed. "But it feels so right. I feel... I feel like I belong up here."

And it really does seem like Luke belongs up here. His face is one of pure jubilation, an expression unlike any other that Ashton has seen before. He's so used to Luke having unreadable emotions, but he's here, hundreds of feet up in the sky, and he  _belongs._ It is the happiest Ashton has ever seen Luke. Now, instead of seeing a symbol of innocence, Ashton can see Luke as the essence of belonging, something that Ashton has been searching for for as long as he can remember.

Luke belongs in the sky. Ashton likes to think he belongs wherever Luke is.

The sad part is, Ashton knows this boy belongs somewhere he can't reach. He hopes Luke will stay grounded, on Earth, with him.

He finds himself releasing the cord again to place his hand over Luke's. He intertwines their fingers and Luke looks at him with the eyes that seem to blend in with everything else around him. The starboy is smiling softly. His eyes are shining. He is radiating something, something that Ashton can feel prickling on his skin, and it's warm, despite them being encased in a constant breeze. His face is getting hot. The hairs on his arms stand on end, and he doesn't know if it's from the breeze or whatever Luke is making him feel.

"Ashton," Luke says, his voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you."

Ashton doesn't want to ask for what. He just wants to cherish this moment. He wants to remember Luke's smile. He wants to remember the words Luke speaks to him. He wants to remember Luke's eyes.

He wants to remember  _Luke._ And he has a feeling he always will.

Their fingers are still entwined as Ashton feels the breeze start to pick up, only to realize that they're being lowered back to the boat. Reluctantly, he lets go of Luke's hand, but he can still feel himself grinning like an idiot. He watches as their feet near the water until he feels the wetness of the ocean drench his calves. It's a pleasant feeling. He expected it to sting a little, but the water is mellow and almost soothing on his legs. He wonders what Michael felt when it happened to him.

They're back on the boat before he knows it. He stands up just like the instructor told him to, Luke does the same. Michael and Calum run up to greet them. "How was it?" Calum asks with a grin.

"Breathtaking," Ashton breathes, because it really was breathtaking and he's kind of out of breath, from both the experience and the way Luke is starting to make him feel.

"Luke?" Calum turns to the blond boy.

Luke looks up at him, his eyes still twinkling. "Absolutely incredible. I never thought I could feel such exhilaration."

Calum pats him on the shoulder as the two take their spots back on the boat. They all remove their harnesses and life vests as the boat heads back to shore.

When they get off the boat, it's three thirty. There's still plenty of time for activity, Ashton thinks. "What should we do now?"

Calum and Michael exchange glances. "Uh, I don't know," Calum says, grimacing. "I didn't think that far ahead."

"Food!" Michael suggests enthusiastically. "I'm starving."

"We had lunch like, two hours ago," Calum says as they start walking back to the car.

"Yeah, but the intense anxiety I felt whilst hundreds of feet in the air made me hungry again," Michael says with a sneer.

Calum rolls his eyes and turns to Ashton and Luke. "What about you guys?"

Ashton shrugs, and he knows Luke isn't going to have any input on the matter, so he just says, "Sure."

"Yay!" Michael jumps up like a toddler and starts walking even faster. "Food!"

"He's officially regressed twenty years," Calum groans.

-

They end up stopping at the nearby resort's restaurant. It's near the beach and not reserved for just the resort guests, so Michael's pretty stoked when he's able to get his fix. The rest of them pass on food and settle for tropical mixed drinks. Luke tries a bit of Ashton's and says it tastes much better than the beer he tried. Michael says something along the lines of 'well now we know we can get him drunk off of fruity cocktails' and Calum smacks him in the head for the first time in, like, a day.

"I am not against the idea," Luke says with a shrug. "It looked quite fun when Michael and Calum were drunk."

Michael shoots Ashton an evil grin. "See? Lukey wants to get drunk."

If Ashton's being honest, he kind of wants to see what Luke is like drunk, but he doesn't want to get Luke completely shit-faced. He sighs and Michael's grin widens because he's not saying no. "Is that a yes?" his mischievous friend asks.

"Yes," Ashton says, "but we are not getting him hammered."

"What is hammered?" Luke asks. Calum snorts with laughter.

"There are different levels of getting drunk," Ashton explains. "If you have a little bit, you might get tipsy, which means you just get a little giggly. If you have a good amount, you get drunk, which makes you stupid and you might do something you regret, and if you have a lot, like, a lot a lot, then you're probably gonna pass out, throw up everywhere, and then some. That's hammered, heavily intoxicated, shit-faced, whatever you wanna call it."

Luke blinks and frowns. "What level were Michael and Calum at that one night?"

"Drunk, but not hammered," Michael answers. "And there's no, like, definitive level system to being drunk. You either are or you aren't."

"And if you get drunk, there's always a chance of a hangover. Michael had a small one after that one night. You wake up and feel like shit. Your head and body hurt and you feel like you might throw up at any minute," Calum adds. "But, if you don't get super drunk, that won't happen."

"And we're  _not_ going to get him super drunk," Ashton affirms.

"Right," Michael says, still grinning devilishly.

That's how they end up back at the grocery store picking up liquor and fruit juice for Luke's first night of getting drunk. Michael's treating it like some sort of celebratory occasion. He skips happily down the aisles, grabbing whatever he deems necessary for whatever concoctions he plans on making. He has Luke at his side as he explains what everything is. Calum and Ashton follow closely behind.

"Why does Michael want to get Luke drunk so badly?" Calum murmurs.

Ashton wonders that too. "I have no idea. Maybe he's just really curious? I mean, I kind of am too."

"Just keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't get too drunk. And don't get too drunk yourself, or else the house is going to be a complete mess in the morning," Calum jokes. Ashton laughs along.

After picking up four types of hard liquor and even more types of fruit juices and syrups, the four boys exit the store with grocery bags filled with the means to give all of them a very, very stupid night. They got a suspicious look from the woman who checked them out, but Michael decided to be cheeky and shoot her a wink.

-

Ashton decides he'll just have one shot and one cocktail and that's it. That'll be good for him to get silly but still watchful over his three friends. God, he really is the dad of the group.

Luke watches carefully as Michael stirs up drinks for the four of them. Ashton notices he throws a bit more vodka into one of the glasses. "Michael, you are not giving him that one," he tells him.

"What? He'll be fine if he just has this one," Michael says, finishing up the last one. "Besides, you know how it is with mixed drinks."

Ashton rolls his eyes but he knows Michael is right. He'll just make sure Luke doesn't have more than just that one drink. Of course, he'll have to keep a close eye on the boy, make sure that the alcohol hits him first before he lets him have another, if at all.

Michael finishes the drinks off with slices of pineapple and paper umbrellas. He hands the one with extra vodka to Luke and smiles. "To Luke's first night of getting drunk, hopefully!" The four boys clink their glasses together. Ashton watches Luke like a hawk as he takes his first sip.

"Do you taste the alcohol?" Ashton asks. The three of them look at Luke expectantly.

"Not really," Luke answers.

Michael's grin reappears. "I did add a little bit more grenadine and simple syrup for him."

"You're evil," Calum comments.

Ashton sighs and rests a hand on Luke's shoulder. "Be careful, Luke. The sweetness masks it, but there's a lot of alcohol in there. Don't drink it too fast."

Luke nods in understanding. They move to the floor by the couch where they sip their cocktails and make idle talk. Michael eventually brings the bottle of watermelon-flavored vodka over, which Ashton tells Luke not to drink.

Michael pouts as he takes a swig straight from the bottle. "You're no fun."

"Michael, you're lucky I'm even letting thishappen," Ashton tells him.

He doesn't complain about much else. The cocktail Michael made is good. He has a bit of the watermelon vodka, just one shot of it, and he's good and giddy. He watches as Michael and Calum take multiple swigs, getting progressively drunker and drunker.

"Come on, Ash," Michael slurs after the cocktail and maybe three shots of the vodka. "Let Luke have some." He holds the bottle out to no one in particular.

"I would like to try it," Luke says. His drink is finished, and Ashton doesn't hear any sign of Luke being drunk, not even tipsy.

He sighs. "Fine. But not too much, okay?"

Luke nods as he takes the bottle from Michael. "How much do I drink?"

"Just chug it!" Michael shouts, giggling. Calum slaps his calf and he cries out in pain. "What the fuck, dude?"

"Look, man, I'm pretty drunk right now but I'm not about to let you do that to him," he says. He blinks lazily. "You are  _not_ going to trick Luke into chugging vodka. He'll probably puke glitter all over the place."

Michael huffs. Luke stares at the bottle, still unsure of what to do. "Just like, take in a mouthful and swallow it all at once," Ashton instructs.

"O-Okay." Luke tips the bottle into his mouth and does exactly what Ashton said to do. As he swallows, his face twists in one of discomfort. His eyes squeeze shut and his throat clenches. "It burned. Why did it burn?" he coughs.

"That's vodka for you! You're lucky it's flavored. Straight vodka hurts even more," Michael says.

Ashton has to agree with him on that one.

"Do I do it again?" Luke asks with his fingers still wrapped around the neck of the bottle.

"No," Ashton says immediately. "Wait a little, tell me if you feel it, and if you don't then you can take another shot."

Michael snags the bottle from Luke's hand. "You're no fun," he says again, frowning.

"You're a lightweight," Ashton retorts. "You're gonna regret this in the morning."

Michael flips him off and Calum snickers, his head falling back against the couch cushion. "Why are we sitting on the floor and not the couch?" he points out.

"The couch is boring," Michael replies. "More exciting things happen on the floor." Ashton has absolutely no idea what he means by that, but he's not going to entertain Michael's stupid drunken remarks.

He looks over to Luke, who is sitting there with an unchanged expression. He observes Michael and Calum as the two laugh and punch each other playfully, but he doesn't do much else.

"How do you feel, Luke?" Ashton asks a couple minutes after the boy's first shot.

He shrugs. "Not much different."

Ashton bites his lip. He's starting to get a bit impatient, because he really  _does_ want to see Luke drunk, but he's a bit surprised as well. It's Luke's first time drinking and he's taking it well. Ashton remembers his first time drinking; he had no idea what he was doing and ended up passed out on Michael's living room floor. He remembers drinking  _way_ too much for his alcohol-virgin body. Then again, he was a teenager. Luke is a tall, broad-shouldered man. He could probably have a high alcohol tolerance despite only having been on Earth for a few days.

"Let him have another shot," Ashton tells Michael. The bottle is nearly gone now, but Ashton assumes Michael has more. After a bit of consideration, he adds, "Actually, let him have the rest."

His friend raises an eyebrow, handing the bottle over to Luke. "Oh? Sudden change of heart?"

"There's not much left," Ashton says. "He'll be fine."

The three of them watch as Luke chugs the rest of it. Ashton panics a bit because that's definitely at least two shots, and before he realizes it, he's snatching the bottle away, but it's already finished.

"What?" Luke asks innocently, his voice hoarse from the alcohol.

"That was like, two shots! Why did you chug it?" Ashton asks frantically.

"I figured because I am not feeling anything yet, it would help speed it up," Luke says matter-of-factly.

It does.

Ashton watches as Luke's eyelids start to droop. As the conversation continues, Luke's words come out as slurs, more incoherent, and less monotone. It's basically a less composed version of the Luke he knows. He's giggly, and Ashton hopes that's all he is.

As the minutes pass, Ashton's hopes are crushed.

Luke is not just giggly. He's  _drunk._ Still not as drunk as Michael and Calum, but he's definitely drunker than Ashton.

Well, at least Michael got what he wanted.

"I think I'm drunk," Luke says finally. Michael throws a fist in the air and cheers, and Luke joins him in celebration. Calum adds to the cheering.

Ashton doesn't. It's not that he feels bad or guilty or anything of the sort, since he also wanted to see Luke drunk, but he's a bit worried. But then Ashton's worry flies out the window when Luke grabs his shoulders suddenly and shakes him. "I'm drunk, Ashton!" he shouts, followed by a loud laugh.

Michael and Calum are doubled over in laughter, and Ashton can't help but laugh a little too. Within a few minutes all four of them are laughing at nothing on the living room floor. Ashton can't feel a care in the world. 

"I think the alcohol took a little more time to hit him than you thought, eh, Ash?" Michael suggests, his head drooped on Calum's shoulder.

"Yeah," Ashton admits. Luke was literally fine after a cocktail spiked with more vodka than the rest of them and one shot, and just two more shots sent him into a state of drunkenness. "Yeah," he repeats, his own head fuzzy.

Luke giggles and hiccups, and it's the cutest thing Ashton's ever seen. "I definitely feel it now. It's... cosmic."

"What?" Michael says.

"Cosmic. I don't know. I'm fucking drunk." Luke covers his face with his hands as if he's embarrassed but he laughs, muffled by the palms of his hands.

"He's definitely drunk. He's swearing and using contractions," Calum says.

Ashton can't argue with that, Calum is spot on. The only time Ashton's ever heard Luke swear and use contractions was when...

Well, it's every time they're together at night, in one of their rooms, with sweaty bodies and roaming hands, surrounded by nothing but lust and each other.

Fuck.

Ashton tries to contribute as much as he can to the conversation, but it's hard to focus when he's hard just from thinking about a drunken Luke kissing him all over. He doesn't want to take advantage of Luke like that, but just thinking about it is making him feel unbelievably guilty and horny at the same time. He sits cross-legged with his hands placed strategically over his crotch and he just hopes that no one sees.

"Aaashhh," Luke groans, leaning his head on his shoulder. "Thank you for today. It was so fun."

"No problem, Luke," Ashton chuckles.

"How do you like being drunk, Luke?" Calum asks. Michael's got his arms around him, his head buried in his side.

"It's weird. But I think I like it." He hiccups again. "Ashton, take a picture!"

Ashton blinks questioningly as Luke crawls over to Michael and Calum. "What?"

The boy practically drapes himself over his two friends, their limbs entangling in some weird mush of bodies, and Ashton can feel a pit of jealousy burning in his stomach. "Wanna remember this," Luke mumbles, his voice lost somewhere in the skin of Ashton's friends. They laugh together, and that's it, Ashton is fuming on the inside. He takes out his phone nonetheless, opening the camera and holding it up to his friends.

"Smile," he says. He can taste the jealousy on his tongue, but the rest of them are too drunk to notice his sarcasm. He snaps a photo of them, Luke's body crushing his two friends, Michael's pained smile due to being crushed by the relatively large boy, and Calum shooting a thumbs up with a wide drunken grin.

After he takes the picture, Luke immediately gets off and crawls back over to Ashton. He throws his arms around him and says, "Take a picture of us, now!"

Pleasantly confused, Ashton switches to the front camera and Luke grabs one side of his face and presses a sloppy kiss to the other. He takes the picture, not really registering what's happening, but then Luke moves away, and that's when he realizes Michael and Calum are still watching.

"Gay," Michael coughs.

Calum cackles. "It's okay, we all know they're hooking up anyway."

Either Luke didn't hear or he doesn't know what that means, because he seems to completely ignore Calum's remark, but Ashton glares at his Maori friend. The boy only shrugs.

The conversation continues until well past one in the morning, and although Ashton tries to be an active participant, the image of Luke throwing himself onto his friends burns in his brain, and now he even has a picture to commemorate the occasion. He's jealous, and he's not afraid to admit it, but he doesn't really know  _why._ Besides Michael, who seems to have a small crush on Luke, there's no chemistry between them, so why is he jealous of his friends?

After all, he's the only one who's had Luke in such a lewd way.

He's pouring himself a glass of water when he hears Michael say, "Okay, I think I gotta turn in soon. I might actually pass out on the living room floor."

"That wouldn't be the first time that's happened, Mike," Calum says.

Michael stands up and struggles to balance on his own two feet. "Well, I'm not about to let it happen again. While I still have a piece of mind and the ability to walk up a flight of stairs, I think I'm going to bed. G'night everyone. Was cool getting drunk with you, Luke." He salutes the blond, who mirrors the action, and drags his feet up the stairs, holding onto the railing for dear life.

With a silent goodnight, Calum follows suit. And suddenly it's just Ashton and Luke on the ground floor. Luke is still drunk, and Ashton is still furious.

He starts walking to his bedroom as he says, "You should go to bed too, Luke."

Luke gets up from the floor and follows him, catching him by the waist and resting his head on his shoulder. "Don't wanna."

Ashton doesn't have time for this (well, he actually does, because he's not actually  _mad._ He's just frustrated). He yanks himself away from Luke's grasp and continues into his bedroom. "Ashton," Luke says rather seriously, still following him, even into his bedroom.

"What, Luke?" Ashton turns around to face the drunk starboy, but his jealousy melts right there at the sight of him, only to remember that  _everything_ happens at night, and suddenly he's overcome with desire. It's conflicting, feeling jealous and lustful at the same time. He's angry with Luke. He shouldn't want to have sex with Luke.

Well actually, maybe it's not that conflicting. It's just that Luke is  _drunk._ If Luke weren't drunk, he wouldn't even hesitate to give Luke a piece of his jealous mind.

"You are angry with me," Luke says in his regular monotone voice. Ashton is taken aback at the sudden change. Is Luke even drunk anymore?

"No, what makes you think that?" Ashton says sarcastically. This time, Luke picks up on it and frowns.

"It is—" He hiccups. "—quite obvious."

Ashton bites his lip as he stares him down. "If I'm being honest, I am still feeling quite drunk," Luke says. "I'm sorry for whatever I did to make you angry." He takes a few steps forward, approaching Ashton until they're face to face. He smells like tropical fruit and alcohol. There's not a trace of lavender or outer space. "Is it because of what I did with Michael and Calum? The picture?"

Ashton glances down at his feet. "It is, isn't it?" Luke asks, and there's a hint of something in his voice. Something different from his monotone innocence. It's playful innocence. Ashton has never heard Luke sound like this.

Is he suggesting what he thinks he's suggesting?

"I'm sorry," Luke says. He puts his hands against Ashton's chest, letting them rest gently against it. They make their way up until they snake around Ashton's neck just above his back. Ashton shudders at Luke's touch. The boy pulls him closer until their bodies collide. Ashton can smell the alcohol even more now. It almost makes him feel sick.

Almost.

"I want to make it up to you," Luke whispers. Ashton can feel his breath hot on his face, fruity and laced with alcohol. This is wrong. This is so, so wrong. He can't even smell  _Luke_ anymore but his dick has a mind of its own. And now, Luke is initiating. But Luke is also drunk. "I want to do what you did to me last night."

Ashton feels like his heart has stopped. Luke pushes him lightly onto his bed, something Ashton never thought he would do. "Luke, you—"

"I'm sorry, Ashton." Luke's lips attach to his neck and his words escape him. He can't even remember what he was about to say. Maybe it was 'you don't need to do this,' or 'you're drunk.' Maybe it was something completely different. Maybe he had no idea what he was saying in the first place. But now he can't even  _think,_ because Luke's mouth is on his neck and his hands are running down his sides and tugging at the hem of his shirt.

"Want this off," Luke murmurs.

Ashton is oh so weak. He sits up and pulls his shirt off in one swift motion, throwing it somewhere across the room, and Luke's lips are on his without giving him a chance to do anything else. He tastes exactly like the mixed drink and watermelon vodka. Ashton doesn't know this taste. It's not Luke.

But he doesn't care. Not right now.

All he can think about is the boy straddling him, kissing him, touching him. It's all Luke, and even though it doesn't taste or smell like lavender or outer space, it's still Luke. Ashton has to remind himself of that.

Luke pushes the two of them farther onto Ashton's bed and doesn't hesitate to start kissing him again. It's so sloppy, sloppier than any kiss Ashton's ever had. It's a mess of tongue and spit and teeth and it's so bad but it's so good. Ashton has never wanted something more in his entire life. His mind is flooded with nothing but lust and Luke. He can't feel any of the alcohol he's had. He just feels Luke.

The boy pulls away from Ashton's lips and starts trailing kisses down his neck, his chest. He flicks his tongue against Ashton's nipple, just like Ashton had done to him. He feels the man beneath him shiver as he chuckles and continues downwards towards his crotch. With one hand, he brushes his fingers along Ashton's torso and with the other, he undoes his jeans.

"Luke," Ashton croaks. He doesn't even know if he was going to say something. All he can say is his name.

Luke pulls Ashton's pants and underwear down hastily, watching as his erection slaps against his stomach. The blond takes hold of it immediately and strokes slowly, and the light touch is enough to make Ashton throw his head back and let out a guttural moan. He feels Luke shuffle and looks down to see his face right up against his cock, eyeing it carefully, and then he realizes, Luke has no idea what he's doing.

"Luke," Ashton says firmly. "Do you... do you know what to do?"

There's a look of hesitation, but then again, Ashton can't tell entirely. Luke's eyelids are still hanging low with drunkenness. Maybe it's confusion. "I think so," the blond says softly.

Unsatisfied with Luke's answer, Ashton sits up against the headboard. Luke looks at him, dejected, but Ashton grasps the base of his cock and holds it out to him. His look changes into one of confusion. "I'm going to show you how to suck a cock, Luke."

Still looking confused, Luke shifts upwards so he's face-level with Ashton's hard length again. "Do you remember what it felt like when I did it?"

"I think so," he repeats. "But I was kind of lost in the feeling, so I'm..." He trails off and frowns.

Ashton sighs and cradles Luke's cheek. The boy looks up at him, his blue eyes still shining in the moonlight. "It's okay, Luke. I'll guide you through it." Luke nods as Ashton releases his cock and motions for him to take hold of it instead. "First, just lick it up and down, get it all wet."

There's a second of hesitation before Luke's tongue is on his cock, running up along the underside and back down again. He swirls it around the head, something Ashton is glad he remembers. "You're doing amazing," he says, his fingers tangling in Luke's curls. "Use your hand, too."

The blond thinks for a moment then takes Ashton's cock in his hand and wraps his lips around the tip. His tongue darts out to lick at it, causing Ashton to let out a small moan. "God, Luke, you're so fucking beautiful." Luke strokes him slowly as his head moves gently up and down the head of his cock, his tongue still moving against the underside of it. "You can go further down, if you can take it."

Luke pauses briefly but then starts again, going further down with each of his head's motions. "Shit, no teeth," Ashton adds before it has a chance to happen. Luke hums in understanding.

His lips are stretched so full and flushed on his cock. It's a sight to revel in, honestly, and Ashton can't help but tug a little on Luke's hair. The blond boy squeals, muffled by the cock in his mouth, but he doesn't stop. "Do you like it when I pull your hair?" Ashton asks. Luke whimpers around him, and he can't tell if that means yes or no, but he tugs again anyway. Luke doesn't seem to mind.

Luke has his hand splayed out across the base as he lets his mouth do the work. Ashton can feel every inch, every nook and cranny of Luke's mouth on him, and the way his lips are swollen around him is driving him crazy and closer to orgasm. His tongue is working some sort of alien magic, pressed flat against his length but still moving with each of his head movements. It's so wet and warm and tight, and Ashton thinks this might be the best blowjob he's ever received, which is a lot to say considering it's the first time Luke has ever given a blowjob.

The blond boy's movements start to slow as he nears the base. It's probably too much for him to take, and Ashton should really go easy on him for his first time, but he's so far gone. He wants to see Luke take it all, maybe even see him choke and gag on his dick. "Relax your throat, babe," Ashton says lowly. "Try to take it all, if you can."

Luke's movements resume at the pace from before, his mouth opening wider to accommodate more of Ashton's length further into his mouth. Ashton can feel the head of his cock at the back of Luke's mouth, nearing his throat, and he can't help the growl that escapes his lips as Luke reaches the base of his cock.

"Fuck fuck fuck, Luke,  _yes_ ," he moans. He holds Luke's head there, feeling the boy's throat clench before releasing his hair. He pulls off and coughs, gasping for air. There's spit trailing down his lip that Ashton catches as he runs his thumb along it. "So fucking pretty."

Luke breathes hard as Ashton's thumb enters his mouth. His lips instinctively wrap around the digit and he sucks on it lightly. "Shit, Luke. You're a real slut, huh?" He removes his thumb from Luke's mouth and holds his cock out again. "Suck."

Luke graciously accepts Ashton back into his mouth, immediately resuming his previous movements. He hollows his cheeks and sucks with vigor, bringing his hand up to stroke what he can't reach with his mouth. Ashton's fingers find their way back into curly locks as he guides the boy up and down his cock. Luke lets out a whine when he feels Ashton's hand in his hair again. "Oh? So you do like it when I pull your hair?" he asks.

The starboy lets out a 'mhm,' and Ashton groans at that. He feels his dick twitch in Luke's mouth as he pulls harder at his hair, burying his fingers even deeper into the curls. "Fuck, Luke. You're so fucking hot, your mouth, oh my  _god,"_ he moans incoherently. Luke whimpers even more around his dick, the vibrations sending Ashton into a spiral, closer to his climax. "Luke, 'm gonna come soon."

Luke doesn't stop sucking. Ashton decides to leave it up to him, whether he wants to pull off or not. With his hand still in his hair, he throws his head back. "Luke, fuck,  _coming_ —"

He doesn't force Luke's head down. He keeps his fingers in his hair, but he doesn't push or pull or anything like that. Ashton was expecting Luke to pull off. He's  _very_ pleasantly surprised when he doesn't, and he shoots his load down Luke's throat.

Luke takes it all, and when he finally pulls off Ashton's softening cock, he tilts his head back slightly and swallows. "Shit, Luke," Ashton breathes. "You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to show you that I'm sorry," Luke murmurs, leaning up to kiss him. "And I just wanted to do the same for you."

Ashton blinks and Luke is smiling softly, his lips still swollen and full. He kisses him again. "Apology accepted," he whispers against the boy's swollen lips.

They kiss again, and again, and Ashton can taste three things on Luke's lips: himself, lavender, and outer space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shit that was a lot longer than i anticipated but ok


	7. black hole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael and Calum spend a day recovering from their hangovers, but after that, it's back to fun and games, aquariums, and more sexual encounters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there are hangovers in this chapter and mentions of vomiting, so skip over that if it makes you uncomfortable (as an emetophobic i totally sympathize with you)
> 
> also i have never been to key west and did absolutely no research into what tourist stuff there is to do there so this is literally all made up lol

Luke passes out in Ashton's bed. Ashton doesn't really have a problem with that, until he's shaken awake at six in the morning to a very sick-looking starboy.

"Ashton," Luke says. Ashton can hear the nausea in his voice. "Something... ugh."

Ashton's quick to move, pulling Luke up and holding his arm over his shoulder. He guides Luke into the bathroom as quickly as he can, opening the toilet lid and telling Luke to let it go in there. As Luke retches into the toilet bowl, Ashton rubs small, comforting circles into his back. He's been in that situation too many times before, and he knows how awful it feels. Considering it was Luke's first time getting drunk as well, it makes the hangover seem like the worst thing ever.

"That's it, buddy," Ashton sighs, patting Luke's back. "It's okay."

The sour smell of vomit is there, but it's not as bad as it usually is. If anything, Ashton's quite surprised to smell watermelon and tropical fruit mix more than anything. It's almost as if Luke's puking up  _just_ the alcohol he had the previous night. The unpleasant scent of stomach bile nearly disappears within seconds, and the aroma of fruit lingers in the air.

 _What the fuck?_ is all Ashton can think. Vomit shouldn't smell good. It never does. Ever. But Luke's puking his guts out into the toilet, and for some odd reason, it smells... good.

"Luke?" Ashton says. "Are you okay?"

Luke gags and coughs a couple more times before responding. "Everything hurts. Why does it hurt?"

Ashton chuckles and pats his back again as Luke continues to cough. "It's called a hangover, Luke. Calum told you about it."

Luke groans, his voice echoing in the toilet bowl. His head slumps against the rim, using his arm as a headrest. "My head hurts very badly."

"I know," Ashton says sympathetically. "Trust me, I've been there."

Keeping his hand on Luke's back, he retrieves a towel from the cabinet and soaks it in cold water. He folds it and holds it over Luke's forehead and continues rubbing circles into his back. While doing so, his eyes unintentionally make contact with the contents of the toilet bowl, and his jaw drops open.

The vomit in the water is colored a deep purple, and it's speckled with glitter.

"What the  _fuck?"_ Ashton thinks out loud.

"What?" Luke questions, blinking lazily.

"Luke, why is your puke  _purple?"_ Ashton looks at it again, and although he knows it's very weird because it's  _vomit,_ it sure doesn't look like it. It looks as if someone poured a bottle of purple glitter glue into the toilet, and it smells like fruit.

"Is it not supposed to be?" Luke asks.

" _No,_ it's not supposed to be! And it sure as hell isn't supposed to smell like a mix of tropical fruit! What the hell?" Ashton's staring at it now, but he can't help it. It's so bizarre and slightly mesmerizing. He's never seen anything like it, but then again, it's a boy from the stars.

If Ashton didn't believe Luke was from the stars before, he sure does now.

"What is it supposed to look and smell like?" Luke asks, finally lifting his head.

"Not purple and glittery, and  _definitely_ not smelling like fruit," Ashton replies. Luke turns his head towards him, taking the towel into his own hand and continuing to hold it up to his forehead. "I don't even want to describe what it's supposed to be like."

Luke blinks and slowly lowers his hand, removing the towel from his head. "You should probably keep that on," Ashton tells him. "It'll help with the headache."

"I do not have one," Luke says. "I did have one, but it is gone now."

Ashton's eyes widen. "Are you  _serious?"_

Luke nods, handing the towel back to Ashton, who takes it hesitantly. "Yes. It is gone. Perhaps it disappeared because I vomited."

"That's usually not how it works," Ashton says. "Hangovers are usually kind of an all-day thing. The headache doesn't just go away once you puke."

Luke only shrugs. "I do not know what to tell you, Ashton. I have never had a hangover before."

"I know, but..." Ashton chuckles to himself and shakes his head. "Man, Luke, you really are something else, you know that?"

Luke smiles at him, and Ashton feels like he can see the light of a million suns shining brightly in his eyes.

-

The thing is, Michael and Calum aren't from outer space.

After Luke's hangover passes, he and Ashton catch up on some more sleep, and when they're awake again and watching morning TV in the living room, Ashton can hear screaming. It's Michael, of course, the one who always likes to make things more dramatic than they actually are. That includes hangovers. At the sound of Michael's screaming, Ashton rolls his eyes. He can imagine Michael's having a horrendous hangover right now because he's a lightweight and drank the most out of all of them, but that doesn't necessarily mean he has to  _scream._

"Is Michael okay?" Luke asks.

"Yeah, he's just a bit of a drama queen," Ashton replies, switching the channel.

Not long after that, Calum trudges down the stairs, each of his footsteps dragging along the floor. "Mornin' guys," he mutters hoarsely.

He doesn't look too bad, Ashton thinks. His eyelids are heavy and his face just looks a bit saggy, but it's nothing concerning. His hair is wild with kinks and tangles. "How's the hangover?" Ashton asks, standing up to meet his friend in the kitchen.

"It's not the worst I've ever had. Head hurts pretty bad, but I haven't puked. Yet. And Michael, well." Calum motions at the stairs. "You could hear how he's doing. He woke me up with his screaming and puking."

Ashton chuckles and sits at the kitchen island. "I can go get us breakfast, if you want. So you don't have to cook. I'd make it myself, but I'm not exactly the best chef."

Calum nods. "Yeah, that'd be great." He glances over to Luke, who's eyes are still glued to the news channel. "How was he this morning?"

Ashton leans over the kitchen island, earning a confused look from Calum, but he leans in as well. "He did have a hangover this morning at like, six, and he puked, and you won't even believe what happened."

"Did the toilet bowl glow?" Calum whispers back half-jokingly.

Ashton's face remains stoic. "No, but his puke was fucking  _purple_."

"What?"

"You heard me," Ashton says. "It was purple,  _and_ it had specks of glitter in it. And, get this, it smelled  _nothing_ like vomit. It was as if he'd just puked up the alcohol he had last night and nothing else. It was so weird because it smelled  _good,_ dude.

Calum's jaw drops open as his eyes flicker back and forth between his friend and the starboy. "You're kidding, right?"

Ashton shakes his head. "Dead serious."

"Jesus," Calum says breathlessly. "That guy really is from space, huh?"

"I guess so," Ashton replies, looking back at Luke. He's holding the TV remote in his hands, curiously examining the buttons. He presses one, and the TV turns off. Ashton can hear a soft 'oh' escape the boy's lips. He chuckles to himself and turns back to Calum.

"And when he finished puking, he got up like nothing happened. He had a headache, but right after he puked he got back up and said he didn't have one anymore. His hangover lasted, like, two minutes," Ashton adds.

"What I'd give to have two-minute hangovers," Calum sighs.

Ashton purses his lips and nods. Luke turns the TV back on and continues watching the news, and although Ashton knows he's probably trying to change the channel, he can't help but derive a little bit of amusement from watching the boy's actions.

Then there's another horrid scream from Michael, and Luke glances up. "Ashton, are you sure Michael is okay?" Luke asks worriedly.

Ashton glances at Calum, who raises his hands and shakes his head. "I am not going up there, sorry. I heard him puking earlier and I'm not about to go in and puke myself."

"He'll be fine, Luke," Ashton says, followed by a loud cry. An actual cry, like, he's actually  _crying._ "Jesus, does he really have to be that loud?"

"No," Calum answers for him, "he doesn't."

-

Michael finally comes downstairs at three in the afternoon, and he looks like absolute hell. There are heavy bags under his eyes and his pale skin looks even paler. Calum managed to feel better by noon, especially after the hearty breakfast Ashton bought for the three of them. Luckily he didn't cry for the entirety of the several hours he spent upstairs. Ashton just hopes it stays that way and that he doesn't puke everywhere.

"Hey, buddy, how are you doing?" Calum asks in a sarcastically worried tone.

Not picking up on it, Michael groans as his head falls on the kitchen island. "I wanna die."

"No, don't say that," Ashton says as he gets up to meet Michael at the island. Luke follows closely behind him. "Did you drink? Take an aspirin?" Michael nods, and as if on cue, Calum takes out the breakfast that he set aside for him. Michael glances up at his friend, his eyes soft and grateful.

"For me?" he asks like a kid being surprised on his birthday.

"Yeah, figured you'd need it once you finally came down." Calum smiles as he transfers the breakfast onto a plate and puts it in the microwave.

For once, the two aren't bickering. As Michael eats his breakfast-lunch, Calum and Ashton flip through the travel magazine, searching for new things to do. Luke sits next to Ashton, sneaking a couple glances at the magazine. "Do you wanna look through it too, Luke?" Calum asks once he notices the boy looking.

Luke nods shyly and leans in to look at the pages of the magazine. They're decorated with bright and colorful pictures of scenery and fun activities, with short passages describing each one. Calum lands on the page with the zoos again and stares it down, seemingly reading the short passage over and over again. "Calum," Ashton says, "why don't we just go to the zoo?"

Calum frowns. "It's just, I want to go, like, a lot, but I don't know how these people treat their animals! I don't want to go support a zoo if they treat their animals like shit."

"What about an aquarium?" Ashton suggests. "At least it's not Seaworld."

"That's true," Calum huffs, his eyes turning back to the page on the local zoos. There's a section on aquariums on the page opposite it. The tickets are thirty dollars in advance, forty-five at the door, not too bad, Ashton thinks, and he looks over at Calum expectantly.

"Well? If you don't want to go to the zoo we can at least go to an aquarium."

"Marine animals have feelings too," Calum mutters, and Ashton can't tell if he's being completely serious. He groans into his hands. "I give in. I wanna go so bad."

Michael chuckles through a mouthful of breakfast food. "About time."

Calum rolls his eyes and closes the magazine. "Excuse me," Luke chimes in suddenly. "What is an aquarium?"

"It's a place where you look at animals that live in the water. Fish, mainly," Michael answers. "Depending on the aquarium, there are other exhibits and activities to do as well. Not sure about this one, though. Do you know if they have seals? I wanna see seals."

"They might," Ashton says with a shrug. "But like I said, it's not Seaworld. This could just be a small aquarium where all they have are colorful fish."

Michael pouts. Calum opens the travel magazine again, eyes glancing over the aquarium's page. There's a photo of a family standing in front of a large tank filled with fish and marine foliage, but that's about it. "Calum, you should really look this place up online, see what else they have before we blow forty-five bucks," Michael tells him.

"On it," Calum replies, pulling out his phone.

As Calum searches the aquarium, Luke gazes at the photo in the magazine. His fingers glide over the passage as he reads it carefully. "Marine life, hm," he murmurs to himself. "Does that mean animals live in the ocean near this house?"

"Of course, Luke," Ashton says with a bit of a chuckle. "The ocean is huge. Earth is more water than it is land, and though you might not see fish on the shore, there are a  _lot_ of them farther out."

"Not to mention the majority of the ocean has yet to be explored. We've barely scratched the surface of it, honestly," Michael adds. "I think Luke would really like the aquarium if we go. Lots of pretty colors."

Luke smiles at that, and it makes Ashton smile too.

-

It turns out the aquarium is a lot bigger, and it  _does_ have seals. It also has penguins, sharks, beluga whales, rays, and pretty much any maritime creature that can fit in a building.

They go the to aquarium the day after Hangover Central, where most of that evening and night was spent comforting Michael. Calum even held a bag of ice over his head despite him telling his friend he didn't have a headache anymore, though Calum responded with, "I know, but maybe it'll help your hot-headedness." Michael frowned at that.

But the next day, it's as if the hangover never happened. Surprisingly, Michael is the first one to start running around to all the different exhibits, with Calum right on his tail, while Ashton and Luke try to keep up with them like parents trying to calm their children. For once, Michael and Calum agree that the first thing they want to see is the underground seal exhibit, where people can watch the seals swim around underwater. They gallop down the ramp to the lower levels of the aquarium, where the lights get progressively dimmer. Midnight blue light surrounds the tanks, enhancing the cerulean glow of the water. When Ashton and Luke finally catch up to Michael and Calum, the two have their hands and noses pressed against the glass.

"They're so pretty," Michael murmurs dreamily. One of the seals glides right past their faces, and Michael exclaims in excitement. "Did you see that, Calum?"

Calum giggles. "Of course I did, I'm right here, y'know."

Luke steps up to the tank next to Michael and Calum, though not as close, and watches the tank intently as another seal passes by. It quickly drifts across the line of Luke's sight, and the boy steps back in surprise. "What do you think, Luke? Aren't they cool?" Michael asks.

"Yes," Luke breathes, still coming down from the mini heart attack. "They are very... nimble."

"You should see the shows they do," Calum comments. "Do you know if they have the seal shows here?"

"I thought you were the one who did the research," Michael says.

Calum groans, pressing his forehead against the seal tank. "I did, but I guess I didn't look hard enough."

Ashton rolls his eyes because that's so typically  _Calum,_ always the one to rush into things without really thinking. Michael is a bit like that too, but his hastiness is mostly due to impulsiveness, while Calum's is more because of excitement. Unsurprised, Ashton suggests, "We can just go to the different exhibits. Save the show for another day, since we're gonna be here in Key West for a while."

Michael pouts but nods. "Man, I wanted to see a show."

"What happens during a show?" Luke asks.

"Oh my god, they're so cool! There are people who like, train the seals to do tricks and they swim with them and it's just so fun and cute to watch," Michael says whilst smiling like a fool.

"Don't know when you started becoming so infatuated with seals," Ashton says.

"Who doesn't like seals?"

"Touché." Michael laughs and gives him a wink.

The four of them make their way through the lower levels where the lights remain as a dark blue hue. They walk past all sorts of tanks and exhibits, though Calum stops at every single one, reads the plaques thoroughly, and the rest of them have to threaten to leave him there if he doesn't get moving. One of the tanks is filled with tropical fish of all sorts of bright colors. The aquatic vegetation mimics that of an actual underwater reef. Fish swim in and out of the crevices, some passing by the screen of the tank. Ashton notices Luke stepping back a couple times when it happens, but he's quick to recuperate, and he joins Michael and Calum with their faces centimeters away from the glass.

They pass by a couple different breeds of sharks, where Michael tells Luke, "Don't wanna get caught up with one of those. They'd probably rip you to shreds." Luke nods wordlessly, his facial expression unchanged.

They make their way back up to the upper levels of the aquarium where the tide pools and freshwater pond animals are kept. In the shallow pools, turtles and frogs swim around happily, some resting on the stone edges. At one of the tide pools, an attendant lets patrons run their fingers along the sting rays. Of course, Michael and Calum are the ones to take the opportunity first. They kneel at the pool, and Ashton is pleasantly surprised when Calum lets him go first.

Michael's hand dips into the pool as his fingers run gently along the ray's smooth surface. "Just make sure not to touch the tail," the employee reminds him.

Calum smiles widely once his fingers touch the ray. "It's so weirdly smooth and slimy," he says as he retracts his hand. "Luke? Ashton?"

Ashton kneels down next to Calum. He lowers his fingers into the water and another ray passes by. Calum's right, it does feel smooth and slimy, but it's a pleasant sensation in contrast to what Ashton imagines touching the stinger would be like. He motions Luke over, who sits hesitantly next to him. "Just put your hand in the water and wait for one to come by. And don't touch the tail," Ashton tells him.

Luke nods, and Ashton takes his hand out as Luke puts his in. A few seconds after, a ray swims towards them, and Luke allows his fingers to run along its skin. At first, he gasps and pulls his hand out, earning a small chuckle from the employee. "It's okay," she says in a comforting voice. "As long as you don't touch the tail, it won't hurt you." Luke lets out a deep breath and puts his hand back in the water. One of the rays from before makes a full circle around the pool and glides under Luke's fingers. His mouth drops open and forms a smile.

"Isn't it cool?" Ashton asks.

"Yes," Luke says, his voice wondrous. He looks over to the rest of the boys. "It is an amazing sensation."

The three of them are smiling at him. He smiles back, filled with amazement and innocence, and Ashton never wants to see such a smile leave his face.

-

After indulging in overpriced food at the aquarium's restaurant, they explore the area a bit, since it's a part of Key West they haven't been to yet. It's not much different from the other areas, but it has a lovely park with a fountain, and for some reason Calum has always found fountains exciting. Then again, Calum has always found everything to be exciting. It's no surprise when he wants to visit the park just to see a fountain.

"Take a picture of me!" Calum hands his phone over to Michael, who rolls his eyes but opens the camera anyway. The Maori boy stands atop the fountain's rim and holds his arms out in a victorious stance, a wide open-mouthed smile spread across his face. Luke chuckles and does something unexpected; he hops up onto the fountain's edge next to Calum and mirrors the pose. Calum doesn't question it, he welcomes it, and Michael smiles as he takes another picture of the two of them, arms wide open with the spray of the fountain shooting upwards behind them.

"You two are such children," Michael remarks as the two jump down.

"Technically that's more Luke, but yeah, it's true," Calum says. "It's just fun to be excited about the smaller things, you know? Like fountains and pretty colors."

"I guess," Michael says, shrugging.

"Oh please, you're just as much of a child as I am." Calum looks to Ashton. "Right, Dad?"

Ashton narrows his eyes as Michael stifles a laugh. "I'm not getting involved with this if you're going to call me Dad."

" _Daddy?_ " Calum tries, and Michael bursts out into laughter.

"I think you two just proved that you're are actual children," Ashton says as the two howl with laughter.

"What is happening?" Luke asks, completely confused as to why Calum and Michael are nearly on the ground from laughing so hard.

Ashton sighs. "Just ignore them. They're being children." He looks over to Luke. The boy is smiling softly, his eyes watching their friends as they laugh together.

"They look happy," he says, looking over to Ashton. "Are you happy, Ashton?"

Ashton looks up at Luke (god, he can never get over the fact that Luke is a few inches taller than him), and the boy's blue eyes shimmer with  _something,_ something that Ashton can't pinpoint, and it gives him a warm, fuzzy feeling that makes his blood seem to fizzle with electricity. His skin tingles. He wants to lean in and kiss the boy with all he has, but he can't, not in front of his friends, so instead, he offers Luke his most genuinely happy smile.

"Yeah," he breathes. Luke smiles back at him, and Ashton can't help but notice how his eyes crinkle at the ends. "Yeah, I am."

-

"You do know that it was only yesterday you two had nasty hangovers, right?" Ashton asks rhetorically to his two friends who are currently scurrying around the house, searching for their best clothes to wear out to a night on the town. "And you guys want to go out to a club, where there are copious amounts of alcohol?"

Michael stops in his tracks and glares at Ashton. He has a pair of dress pants hung over his arm and is wearing nothing but a pair of boxers and an unbuttoned dress shirt. "On a vacation like this, hangovers are inevitable. How often they occur doesn't matter." He goes straight back to frantically running around the house. "Calum! Where the fuck is my hairspray?"

"How the hell should I know?" Calum shouts back from the upstairs level. "It should be in your bathroom you dumb fuck!"

Michael groans as he vaults up the stairs. "I checked already!"

"Well look harder!" Calum says.

Ashton lets out an exasperated sigh as he settles back down on the living room sofa. Luke looks at him curiously. "Why are they in such a frenzy?"

"I honestly don't know," Ashton says. "They usually don't worry this much about going out. Maybe they're gonna try extra hard to take someone home tonight, since we're in Florida and everything is new and exciting here." His voice drips humorous sarcasm, not that Luke picks up on it.

"Oh, they will be taking people home tonight?" Luke asks. "So, will we gain new friends?"

"Oh, uh." Ashton scoots closer to Luke. "When someone says that they're gonna 'take someone home,' it means yeah, they'll take someone home, but it's usually to, you know... have sex."

"Oh." Luke blushes and looks down at his hands, which are clasped neatly in his lap. "Are you going with them?"

Ashton can detect a hint of jealousy in Luke's otherwise monotone voice. He shakes his head. "Nah, I don't feel like going out tonight. If they're drunk and need to come home, they can call an Uber or something." He can see Luke's eyebrows knit in confusion. "Oh, an Uber is a thing on your phone where you can call for a ride if you can't drive yourself."

"I see," Luke says.

Calum comes bounding down the stairs then, his footsteps so loud that they might as well shake the house. He's straightening out the collar of his black button-down. "How do I look?"

"Like Calum," Ashton replies. His friend frowns. "You look good, sheesh. Why are you and Michael trying so hard?"

"It's Florida, baby!" Calum grins widely. "We gotta go the extra mile!"

"So you can bring home an STD?"

"Don't be a dick," Calum mutters, grabbing his jacket off the back of the couch. "Michael! Hurry up!"

As if on cue, Michael comes rushing down the stairs as well. "Sorry, sorry." He slides on a leather jacket and checks his phone. "Our Uber's here."

"Alright." Calum glances over at Ashton. "You two good?" Ashton nods and Calum shoots him a suggestive grin. "Behave."

Ashton flips him off as the two hurry out the door, slamming it behind them. He watches through the window as the car takes off, and suddenly it's just him, Luke, and silence.

Then, Luke asks, "Are they really going to be bringing people here to have sex?"

Ashton cringes at the thought of multiple people in the house having sex, even though it's not what Luke meant. "It's a possibility," he answers honestly. "You never know with those two. If they do, the people'll probably be out of the house by tomorrow morning."

"So these people are complete strangers?"

"Yep," Ashton says. "It happens. You go out to a club or a bar, get drunk, get horny, and maybe find someone to take home and hook up with."

"Hook up?"

"Have sex," Ashton clarifies.

Luke hums, leaning back against the sofa. "It seems there are a lot of terms used to describe the act of sex."

Ashton nods. Luke looks over to him expectantly and  _here we go, another lesson._ "Hooking up basically means to get with someone and do sexual things with them, usually with strangers or people you don't know well."

"I see. And taking someone home means..."

"It kinda literally means taking someone home, but it also has the connotation of having sex in addition," Ashton explains.

"What are other terms that describe the act of sex?"

"Um," Ashton says, thinking. "Banging, boning, fucking. Those are all terms that mean having sex."

Luke winces. "I have not heard any of those terms and they still sound vulgar. Although, I thought 'fuck' was just a swear word?"

"It is," Ashton says, "but there are a lot of things 'fuck' can mean."

"Such as?"

Ashton purses his lips in thought. There really are a lot of things fuck can mean. He wonders if he can explain them all. "Okay, so 'fuck' is a swear. You don't want to say that word in public. On its own, it can be used as, like, an exclamation. Say you stub your toe, and you exclaim 'fuck!' because you're in pain. Make sense?" Luke nods. "Then, if you were to say 'fucking,' it's usually used for unnecessary emphasis on things, like saying, 'that was fucking awesome,' or 'I'm fucking drunk.' I'm actually pretty sure you said that when you were drunk a few nights ago."

Luke chuckles. "Did I really say that?"

"Yes, yes you did. It was kinda hilarious," Ashton laughs. "Okay, anyways. 'Fuck' can also mean you're done with something. If you say 'fuck this,' it means 'I'm done with this.' Like, say you get really frustrated while doing something, and you just kinda go, 'fuck this!' and give up." Luke hums, signaling him to continue. "And in the sexual context, if you're fucking someone, it means you're having sex with them."

And that's when Ashton remembers that he still hasn't told Luke what sex actually is. He figures he should probably tell him soon, in case Luke gets confused. He doesn't want Luke to tell him to fuck him when he really just means a blowjob. In that moment, he swallows his pride and says, "Luke, I haven't exactly been honest in telling you what sex is."

Luke looks at him and blinks. "What do you mean?"

"Well, um, I told you that we've been having sex, right?" Luke nods in confirmation. "That's not true. We haven't had sex."

"What do you mean?" Luke repeats.

Ashton sighs as he prepares for the worst. "Just to be sure, what do  _you_ think sex is?"

"Um," Luke says, thinking. "What we have done so far? The masturbating and handjob? And when we used our mouths, what is that called?"

"A blowjob."

"Right. That," Luke says. "That is what I have come to believe sex is."

Ashton bites his lip. "So, technically, none of that is really 'sex.' Apart from the blowjob, 'cause it's a kind of sex, called oral sex. But it's not, like,  _sex_ sex." He feels like he's explaining penetrative sex to a class of fifth graders, but then again, Luke has the life experience of one. "Actual sex is... ah, fuck it's..."

"Would it be easier just to show me?" Luke asks.

Ashton's breath gets stuck in his throat and he starts choking on air. He coughs, trying to catch his breath as Luke's strong arms attempt to steady him. "What is wrong?"

"Nothing," Ashton chokes out. "It's just... that was unexpected."

"Well, if you are having a hard time explaining it, it would be easier to show it, right? It was the same way when we first kissed."

Ashton would smile at the memory, and he does internally, but he's a bit overwhelmed with the notion that Luke just asked him to have sex, actual sex, and he finds his mind racing to put the pieces together of how this is going to work. It shouldn't be a big deal. They've done a lot already. In a way, Ashton has been expecting it to happen, but he wouldn't have imagined Luke would be the one asking.

He bites his lip, feeling his cock twitch at he thought of Luke riding it, but he knows he can't rush Luke into something like that. "Okay," he says, standing up. "I can show you."

Luke stands up and Ashton heads into his bedroom. "Have a seat on the bed, yeah?" he tells him. Luke nods and sits at the side of the bed. Ashton knows he didn't bring condoms and lube with him on the trip because he wasn't expecting to have sex, especially not this soon, but he definitely knows someone who did. "Wait here," he tells Luke, and he rushes upstairs to Michael's room, where, sure enough, Ashton finds a box of condoms and a bottle of lube in his friend's suitcase.

"What are those?" Luke asks, seeing Ashton holding the items.

"Um, condoms and lube. You'll see."

Luke looks at him curiously as he sets the condoms and lube on the nightstand. He takes a deep breath, knowing the weight and awkwardness of the situation, and even though it's almost painfully awkward, Ashton can feel himself getting harder by the minute. He straddles Luke suddenly, taking the boy by surprise, and wraps his arms around his shoulders. "Just, tell me if you need me to stop at any time, okay?"

"Of course," Luke says, and Ashton leans in.

It starts off light, with Ashton's lips moving gently against Luke's. He loves the feeling of Luke's breath, how it seems to get more pronounced with each movement of their lips, and it makes it a lot easier for him to get into it. Moving past the awkwardness, he pushes lightly against Luke's body, bringing both of them down onto the bed. Luke's hands grab Ashton's hips, holding them tightly as the kiss deepens. To Ashton's surprise, Luke is the one who glides his tongue along his bottom lip and slips it into his mouth, making him moan suddenly. He can feel Luke getting hard as he grinds down on him, causing the boy to hiss into his mouth. Ashton toys with the waistband of his sweatpants, slipping his fingers underneath it and rubbing at the skin of his hips.

He motions Luke to rest near the headboard as he slides his shirt over the top of his head and discards it somewhere across the room. Luke does the same, throwing his shirt in a random direction, and Ashton leans down to kiss him again. It's filled with heat that makes Ashton's head spin, fuzzy with nothing but lust and Luke. He kisses down the starboy's jaw, runs his tongue down his neck and torso until he reaches the one thing standing between him and Luke's dick.

"Can I?" Ashton asks, and Luke nods. He wastes no time in getting his pants off, revealing Luke's hard cock. It still manages to take his breath away, even after everything they've already done. He gives a couple kisses to Luke's pelvis before licking at the head of his cock. Luke sighs, feeling the wetness of Ashton's tongue against his cock as he curls his fingers into his hair.

With Luke's cock still in his mouth, Ashton reaches down and removes his own pants. He swirls his tongue around the head, stroking it with a feather-like grip. He has a feeling Luke won't last long in the act to begin with, so he figures he'll tease him just a little bit.

When he finally releases Luke's cock from his mouth, he sits up and straddles Luke again, reaching over to grab the bottle of lube and a condom from the bedside table. "What are you doing?" Luke asks, his gaze focused on the items in Ashton's hands.

"Prepping myself," Ashton answers, popping the cap of the lube open. He squeezes a decent amount onto his fingers and reaches around his back to his hole. It's been a long time since he's bottomed, but that's mostly because he's spent the past few years in a puddle of existential depression. Most of the sex he had during that time, he doesn't even remember. He starts with one finger, pushing it in slowly.

He bites his lip and stares down at Luke, who's blue eyes are focused on what his fingers are doing at his hole. "I... still do not get what you're doing," Luke says.

"Just wait, Luke," Ashton says a little too firmly. "You'll see."

He adds another finger and immediately feels the burn, but he continues to pump his digits in and out, feeling himself adjust to the stretch. Luke's dick is pretty big, and he knows he'll need more than two fingers to be ready for it. He pulls his fingers out just to add more lube to them and goes in with two again before he feels ready enough to add a third. He feels his chest rise and deflate at the feeling of being stretched again after so long.

It's a good thing he's good at multitasking, as he continues to move three fingers inside himself while picking up the condom with his other hand and tearing the package open with his teeth. He holds the rubber and scissors his fingers, making sure to give his hole the best stretch he can manage. He has to admit that it feels very rushed, but he wants it so badly, and he wants Luke to feel it. Maybe he wants Luke to feel it even more badly than he actually wants it.

When he removes his fingers, he can feel the stretch still. He's quick to move, rolling the condom down Luke's cock despite the boy's hopeless look of confusion and squirting a little bit more lube onto his now covered length. Shuffling upwards, he hovers above Luke's cock, holding it up, and he looks down at him.

"Ready?" Ashton asks, and it's like he can see the lightbulb go off in Luke's brain. The boy nods hesitantly, and Ashton lowers himself down. He didn't expect it to stretch as much as it does. It's definitely more than three fingers, and maybe he did need more prep, but as he sinks lower and lower, as he feels the burn, he finds himself not caring. Luke's jaw slacks, his mouth falling open as his eyes stay locked on Ashton's.

"A-Ashton, this..."

Ashton nearly cries when he bottoms out, and he's so  _full,_ a sensation he had almost forgotten about. Luke's cock is stretching him so good, it hurts so good, and he throws his head back, his eyes squeezing shut as he lets out a raspy moan. "Oh, f-fuck. Shit, I forgot how this feels."

He stays there for a moment, unmoving with Luke's cock inside him. The two are breathing hard, their chests almost in sync. When Ashton finally looks down at Luke, he can see the boy's eyes looking up at him worriedly. "Are you okay, Luke?"

"Are  _you_ okay?" Luke asks him. "You look like you are in pain."

Ashton can't help but chuckle. "I'm okay," he reassures him. "It definitely hurts a bit, since I haven't done this in a while, but it'll feel really good for the both of us, I promise." He circles his hips lightly, feeling Luke's cock move inside him, and he lets out a soft whimper. He can definitely feel himself adjusting.

"I-Is this sex?" Luke asks.

"Yes," Ashton answers. Resting his hands on Luke's chest, he moves himself upwards and back down again gently. He smiles to himself as he repeats the motion, bouncing up and down on Luke's cock delicately as he gets even more used to the feeling. After a few easy movements, he lifts himself higher and comes down with more force, causing Luke to gasp in both surprise and pleasure.

"Ashton." Luke's hands find their way to his hips again, holding them as Ashton starts to build up a steady rhythm in his movements. He's finally able to get a good handle on it, the hurt being replaced by the fulfilling feeling of Luke's cock hitting places deep inside him. His movements shake the bed, the headboard rocking with them, occasionally bumping into the wall behind it. Ashton grabs Luke's hands and move them to his ass as he leans down, pressing his forehead against his. Luke's fingers dig into his skin, spreading him open even wider. Ashton moans against his lips, feeling Luke's hot breath and calloused hands on him.

"H-How does it feel?" Ashton pants, not letting up on his movements.

"It's so good," Luke says, his voice overcome with pleasure he doesn't know what to do with. "It's so warm and tight around me, Ashton."

Hearing those words from Luke's mouth only makes him go harder, slamming down on Luke with every motion. He sits back up again and grinds his hips back and forth into him, stroking his cock in time with each movement. Luke removes his hands from Ashton's ass cheeks, moving them up to roam along his sides. His touch is so gentle yet firm, Ashton can feel his fingertips everywhere.

"Luke, can you," Ashton says, slowing down. "Can you fuck me?" He pulls off of Luke's cock, suddenly feeling so empty, and flops down onto the pillows. "Like, be on top?"

Luke nods slowly, still trying to assess the situation as he gets up and hovers over Ashton's body. "Like this?" he asks, his cock pressed up against his hole.

"Yes," Ashton says, nodding. "Just, move your cock in and out of me. That's how you fuck someone."

"O...kay." Luke swallows, his brows furrowed in concentration as he pushes in slowly. Hearing Ashton moan at the entrance, he moves his hips, unsure, but Ashton has one hand on his hip, leading him, and he begins to move at the pace that Ashton's fingers are pressing into his skin. He rests his hands on Ashton's hips, using it as leverage when he presses inside. It allows him to go deeper, and Ashton can certainly feel it, especially when Luke's thrusts start to speed up. "Oh, Ashton," he moans, his cock now sliding in and out of him effortlessly. "You feel so good."

"Y-You do too," Ashton says. "Your cock is so big inside me, stretching me so good."

For some reason, Ashton's words resonate within Luke, and he snaps his hips up even harder, causing Ashton to cry out. "Fuck, Luke! Do that again, please!" Luke obliges, ramming into Ashton's prostate unbeknownst to him, and soon enough Ashton is nothing but a moaning, whining mess beneath him.

"Ashton," Luke gasps, leaning down to press his lips against Ashton's. Ashton continues to moan through the kiss, his voice muffled by Luke's lips. He can't help it; he's being fucked so good by a boy from the stars, someone who holds a special place in his heart, and he's hitting that spot inside him that's making him go crazy. Ashton's overwhelmed with pleasure and lust and...

...love. He's pretty sure it's love. Or some form of it.

Luke breaks the kiss and their sweaty foreheads press together. "Ashton, I-I'm going to come soon."

"Do it," Ashton says. He reaches down to his own cock and jerks himself with each of Luke's thrusts. "Come inside me. Please."

When Luke comes, Ashton can feel it. His cock throbs inside him, shooting his load into the condom. The feeling of Luke's cock coming inside him drives him to his own climax, spurting white stripes of come onto his stomach. Luke pulls out slowly, leaving Ashton empty but completely satisfied. He collapses back onto his butt, his hand resting on his dick, not knowing what to do. When Ashton manages to catch his breath, he chuckles, sits up, and reaches over to pull the condom off of Luke's softening cock.

"W-What was the purpose of that?" Luke asks, pointing at the condom.

"It's protection," Ashton answers, tying the condom. "It's, um, fuck, I'll explain it to you some other time." He gets up to throw the condom into the garbage bin in the bathroom and washes his come off while he's there. When he gets back to the bed, Luke is sitting there, now cross-legged.

Ashton smiles. It's second-nature at this point. Seeing the boy in such a wholesome pose makes his heart thump and his mouth curve upwards into a smile. Hell, seeing the boy do anything makes him feel like that. He crawls onto the bed and sits next to Luke, crossing his legs as well.

"So, that was sex?" Luke asks, breaking the silence.

"Yeah," Ashton says, turning towards him. "Did you enjoy it?"

Luke nods almost immediately. "Yes, a lot, actually." He pauses, lips formed into a thin line with thought. "So, if you were able to do...  _that,_ does that mean I can do it too?"

Ashton assumes he means bottoming. "Yeah, you can," he says, "but it hurts the first time. Like, almost always. That's what the lube is for, to make it go in easier."

"I want to do it for you," Luke says.

Ashton frowns, not because he doesn't want that, but because Luke is almost  _too_ eager. He doesn't want to rush the boy more than he already has. "Maybe some time down the road," he says, "but not any time soon. I just don't want you to rush into something like that."

"Why?" Luke questions. Ashton looks at him. His face is unreadable once again. He doesn't seem hurt, from what Ashton can tell.

"Because it hurts," Ashton repeats. "And I'm not exaggerating, Luke. It  _will_ hurt."

Luke sighs and rests his head on Ashton's shoulder. "I want to do it for you, though," he says again.

"I know," Ashton tells him. "And I want to do it too, believe me, but I'm in no rush, and you shouldn't be either. I  _care_ about you, Luke. I don't want you to make a decision you'll regret."

Luke doesn't say anything. Ashton is a bit surprised when he doesn't say something along the lines of 'I am an adult human and am therefore capable of making my own decision,' but he doesn't question it. What he does question is the pounding of his heart. It seems to beat faster, faster than it's ever beaten before while next to Luke. He thinks it's because of the fact they just had sex; after all, it makes the most sense. But then there was that feeling, that  _love,_ that Ashton can't put his finger on.

It's not  _love_ love, Ashton is sure of that. He doesn't  _love_ Luke. But at the same time, there's no way it's just friend love. It's not the love he feels towards Michael and Calum, not by a long shot.

His head feels like a tornado is going through it. He doesn't know why, but he's sure he could never  _love_ love Luke. It's a weird, almost intuitive notion that he feels within himself. He will never love Luke in that way. It's what every fiber in his being is telling him, and he wholeheartedly believes it. It's like a predisposed impression, it's set in stone.

And that is what's making his head turn. He's so sure he will never love Luke, but what is the feeling he gets whenever Luke is around? What is it when he looks at Luke and all he can feel is warmth? Why does he feel the urge to be around him whenever possible?

He just never wants to let Luke go. He wants his lavender and outer space. He wants to feel the butterflies and the tenderness wherever he goes. He wants to be able to feel these things all the time. When he returns home from the vacation, he wants to return with Luke, to have him around him all the time. He wants to embrace Luke for as long as time will let him.

"Ashton," Luke says, breaking him out of his spiral. He lifts his head from his shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"Are you happy?"

Ashton turns to look at Luke, but the boy's gaze remains straight ahead of him. "Yeah, why?"

"I want you to be happy forever," Luke says. "You deserve to be happy forever."

"Luke." Ashton's voice comes out as a single breath. It's a sound that Ashton swears he's never heard come out of his own mouth in his entire life. Luke continues to stare straight ahead of him. It doesn't even look like he's blinking. "Luke, look at me."

He does. "I'm happy. I'm so happy, god, Luke. You make me so happy."

Luke doesn't smile. And that makes Ashton frown.

"I want you to be happy forever."

Ashton nearly stops breathing. "Luke, I..."

Luke's eyes return to the wall. There's nothing Ashton can say. His chest is heavy, like there's a black hole in his heart, and it's eating away at him. Even with Luke by his side, he can feel it. It's there, it's massive, and it's sucking every bit of life Ashton's ever had. Maybe it's always been there. Actually, it has, Ashton thinks. He thinks it's always been there. He can feel tears brimming in his eyes, threatening to spill over. Maybe they'll paint his face like meteors paint the sky at night during a shower. Maybe then he'll finally break down, combust like a supernova, and maybe there won't be anything to stop it this time.

Maybe he—

"You deserve the universe, Ashton Irwin."

Ashton gasps. No, that can't be right. He has Luke. He has Luke, the equivalent of the brightest star in Ashton's universe. Ashton doesn't know if there's anything more massive than a black hole, but maybe, just maybe, Luke  _is_ that thing.

"Luke," Ashton says through a haze of realization, "how did you know my last name?"

The boy only continues to stare at the wall, but Ashton swears, he swears on the black hole in his heart, that the room starts to smell even more like outer space, and Ashton  _still_ doesn't know what that smells like.


	8. galactic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashton and Luke have a day to themselves since Michael and Calum don't know how to control their drinking, and there's an amusement park involved after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Sorry I've been a little slow on updating this fic, I've been working on two others that have been taking up most of my time, but this fic is ending soon, with two more chapters after this one.
> 
> A lovely reader created fan art of this fic, inspired by the whole 'lavender and outer space' concept. It's a beautiful interpretation of the concept, and I can't thank you enough taking your time to create art from art. You can check it out [here](https://lemoncheerios.tumblr.com/post/183063452368/lavender-and-outerspace-i-read-a-fic-that-stuck)
> 
> (also wanted to add that i still know nothing about the zodiac so pls dont sue me)

When Ashton wakes up the morning, Luke is pressed up against his side, and the house is quiet. He shoots up with a jolt, remembering that his two friends had gone out the previous night. He's surprised he wasn't awoken by them, considering how loud they can be when they're drunk. Either way, he just hopes that they ended up somewhere safe, whether it be at their house or someone else's.

Luke is already awake. "Ashton?" He stares up at Ashton, confused. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Ashton breathes, still coming down from his worry. "I just remembered that Michael and Calum went out last night. I hope they made it back okay."

"They did," Luke affirms. "I heard them come in at around three."

Ashton sighs in relief, but then groans at the thought of having to deal with  _more_ hangovers. "I'm guessing they were drunk."

Luke nods. "I did not go out and see for myself, but I could hear them talking, and they sounded quite drunk. There were no other voices, though, so I suppose they did not bring anybody back with them like you had thought."

"I didn't say that they were for sure going to bring people home," Ashton chuckles. "Either they did it back at whatever club they went to or they didn't do it at all."

As it turns out, one of them had.

Of course the two wake up with ridiculous hangovers, but apparently Michael's isn't as bad as the one before, as he isn't screaming when he wakes up. Calum is somehow able to make breakfast for the four of them with minimal complaining. "So, how was it?" Ashton asks eventually.

Michael hums, a lazy grin appearing on his face. "You should've seen him, Ash. Sooooo gorgeous."

"Him?"

"Yeah," Michael says. "He was so hot, man. It was funny though, I left Calum so I could go blow him in the bathroom and when I got back Calum was up on one of the platform thingies with a bottle of tequila in his hand."

Ashton glances over at Calum, who's frowning as he makes their eggs. "They had poles on the platforms," Michael adds.

"Holy shit," Ashton gasps, and he can see Calum's breath hitch. "You did  _not_ dance on a pole last night, Cal."

Calum grimaces. "I did."

Michael bursts out laughing. "I think I got a video of it, hang on." He retrieves his phone from his pocket and scrolls through it. Leaning over to Ashton, he taps the play button, and sure enough, there's a video of Calum up on a raised platform. The floor beneath him is a neon purple, illuminating his features as he twirls around the pole with one hand and holds a bottle of tequila in the other. The crowd around him cheers, some even throwing dollar bills up onto the stage. Ashton's mouth drops wide open as he watches Calum drop to the ground, grinding up on the pole as if he's an actual stripper, and the crowd cheers even louder. Michael screams as well, his cheers obviously amplified since he's the one recording it.

"Oh my god," Ashtom murmurs. "Calum, you'll never be able to get a job now."

"Please don't remind me," Calum says, plating their food. "I could get a job as a stripper. Apparently I'd be really good at it."

Michael snickers and snatches his plate of food first. "Who knew Calum could drop it low like that? I certainly didn't."

"Please keep the teasing to a minimum today, I don't have enough energy to give you a proper smacking," Calum groans as he takes his seat next to Ashton and Luke.

"Smacking or spanking?" Michael smirks cheekily, and Ashton's glad that the two are sitting on opposite ends of the table. "Anyway, I think I'm just gonna stay in today. I need to recuperate from last night. It was... really crazy."

"Who was the guy you blew anyway?" Ashton asks.

Michael shrugs. "Dunno. He was really hot, though."

"You didn't even learn his name?" Calum questions, raising an eyebrow.

"Nope," Michael says bluntly. "Didn't get his number either. Don't really care though."

Calum scoffs and shakes his head. "Anyway, I'm gonna stay in today too. Probably just chill in my room and take a nap. You and Luke can go out if you guys want, though."

Ashton and Luke look at each other, and the blond boy shrugs. There aren't that many things to do since they've already done what's around the area. It's just a lot of shopping and eating. Ashton doesn't know what else here is to do.

"Oh, and there's an amusement park about forty-five minutes away and we're going to that tomorrow. So as long as you two don't go there, you guys can do whatever you want."

"Why don't you guys ever keep me in the loop?" Ashton asks.

Calum smirks. "Spontaneity is the spice of life."

Ashton rolls his eyes so hard that he might as well have seen his brain.

-

Ashton takes Luke out for lunch and ice cream (again). For some reason Luke is extremely fond of the mint chocolate chip at that one place they went to before. It's not the  _best_ ice cream Ashton's ever had, but then again, it's the only ice cream Luke's ever had, so he can understand why the boy loves it so much.

"Ashton," Luke asks during a pause between licks, "what is an amusement park?"

Ashton remembers that Luke still doesn't know about a  _lot_ of things, including amusement parks, but he has no clue how to explain, especially since he doesn't even know the amusement park Calum was talking about earlier. "Um, it's a lot of rides, greasy food. Good stuff."

"Rides?"

"Yeah. Kind like what we did with the parasailing, except not over water, and there's a lot more movement. Like, so much movement that it's almost sickening," Ashton tells him. "I can't really explain it. You'll have to see for yourself."

Luke nods and resumes eating his ice cream. Ashton thinks he should probably ask him how he knew his last name. It's been bothering him every since the conversation they'd had the previous night. Luke still hasn't provided an answer, and although Ashton doesn't necessarily need one, he can't help but feel uneasy about it.

"Ashton," Luke says, cutting Ashton off from his thoughts, "can we go back to the shop where you got me the zodiac sculpture?"

"Uh, sure," Ashton says, a bit confused. "Why do you wanna go back there?"

Luke shrugs. "I thought it was quite a comforting place. I enjoyed looking at the things inside."

Still so innocent, Ashton thinks. He smiles. "Sure."

The shop is a short walk away from the ice cream parlor. There's nobody in it besides the cashier, who stands behind the counter playing games on their phone. The windchimes and dreamcatchers are still hanging from the ceiling, along with some small lanterns and other decorative lights. Most of the merchandise the store carries isn't even Key West related. It's mostly homemade crafts, charms, jewelry, and statuettes. There are a few articles of clothing, most of which are made of silky fabric that Ashton would never wear. He watches as Luke glances around the store aimlessly, taking small steps around.

Luke stops by the table where the zodiac statuette had been. There isn't another one, but the other statuettes from before are still there. Ashton figures it must not be a very popular shop, and he understands why. He means no offense to the owner of the shop, but a lot of the things they sell don't have the Key West logo on it, and therefore, tourists wouldn't necessarily want to buy their stuff. It's kind of sad to him, honestly. They have some pretty nifty trinkets.

Luke continues to circle around the store until he makes his way back to the counter, which consists of a glass case containing more jewelry and charms. Ashton takes a look at the earrings. Maybe he'll get Michael a pair of dolphin earrings as a joke, but he wouldn't be surprised if Michael actually wears them. He picks up a pair, sterling silver with blue accents in the center. He smiles as he pictures Michael wearing them, smiling and flaunting them proudly. It's such a Michael thing to do, he thinks.

When he looks over at Luke, the blond is staring down at the bracelets, but not just any bracelets. He stares longingly at the bracelets that have the charms of the zodiac on them. "Luke," Ashton says,  trying to get his attention.

Luke's eyes don't move. It doesn't even look like he's blinking. "Luke," Ashton says again, a bit louder this time. He even nudges his shoulder.

"Oh, sorry," Luke mumbles, but his eyes stay locked on the bracelets. "I was reading the little passages on the boxes."

Ashton takes a look at the bracelets as well. Of course, Luke is looking at the one for Cancer more than the others. It's a simple silver bracelet with a singular charm on it, the symbol of Cancer. It lies on top of a bed of foam, along with a small piece of thick paper that reads:

_Sign of Cancer_

_June 21 - July 23_

_Element: Water_

_Symbol: Crab_

_Creative, intuitive, passionate, loyal  
_

Luke reads it with furrowed brows, and Ashton can't tell what he's feeling. "Ashton," he says after he's seemingly finished reading, "may I get this?"

"Oh, sure," Ashton says, pulling out his wallet. He nods at the cashier, who smiles and takes the bracelet out from the glass case. As he pays for it, the cashier looks over to Luke, who stands next to Ashton with his arms leaning on the counter.

"I'm guessing your friend is a Cancer," the cashier comments. He glances down at Luke's wrist where, sure enough, the red tattoo of the symbol of Cancer is still inked to his skin. Ashton had almost forgotten about that.

"Yeah," Ashton answers, pulling out the cash for the bracelet. It's not expensive at all, considering it's just a cheap silver bracelet, but as soon as the two leave the shop, Ashton notices the way Luke looks at it.

He almost never takes his eyes off it. Ashton has never seen him so focused, not even on the statuette of the zodiac. He looks at it the entire ride home, reads the tiny passage over and over again. When they get back to the house, Luke goes straight to his room and doesn't come out. Michael and Calum watch as the blond slowly stalks up the stairs, and they both look back at Ashton with suspicious eyes.

"What did you do?" Calum asks, frowning.

"Nothing! He asked me to get him a bracelet with a symbol of Cancer charm on it, and he started acting all... weird," Ashton explains, returning Calum's frown.

Michael adds to the frowning. "How was he being weird?"

"After I got it for him, he just stared at it the entire way back. Literally, he wouldn't take his eyes off of it. I'm pretty sure he's read that piece of paper over a thousand times by now. It's literally just a cheap silver bracelet. And yeah, I get that it's Cancer and everything, but I don't know guys. I don't know what's up with him," Ashton says honestly.

"He did that with the zodiac sculpture too, didn't he?" Calum asks.

Ashton nods. "He must really be homesick, then," Calum sighs.

Ashton doesn't know if he would call it homesickness. Although Luke has said before that it probably was, Ashton can't even begin to wrap his head around how it could be. It has to be something else, something that neither Ashton nor Luke can put a name to. For now, he'll call it homesickness, but deep down, he doesn't want to call it that because he  _knows_ it isn't that.

He doesn't mention it to Calum, though. He also doesn't follow Luke upstairs this time.

When dinnertime rolls around, Calum offers to cook again, this time, some kind of chicken dish. Ashton doesn't pay attention when Calum tells him what it is; he'll probably just eat it no matter what it is anyway. Ashton sits on the living room sofa with Michael and pays some kind of shooting game that he's never played before, and is absolutely horrible at. He doesn't notice when Calum goes upstairs, but he does notice when he comes down and says, "Luke locked his door."

Michael pauses the game. "What?"

Calum sighs and goes back behind the kitchen counter. "Yeah, he locked his door. I told him we were going to eat, and he said he was fine. I said that if he gets hungry he can come down at any time, but then he didn't say anything after that."

Ashton's heart stings at Calum's words. Michael looks at him worriedly, but he only shakes his head and stands up to join Calum in the kitchen. "He'll come down if he wants to," he says, sitting down. Michael follows shortly after.

"You're not gonna try to talk to him?" Calum asks.

"No," Ashton says, shaking his head. As much as he wants to, he knows that it will only continue to happen. He doesn't know how much talking can do. It's happened multiple times now, where Luke shuts himself in his room and away from the world, but this time, he's locked his door. Ashton doesn't know what Luke is doing behind his closed door, but he imagines Luke is just staring out at the sky or up at his ceiling. There's not much else to do anyway. "I think maybe he just needs some time to think alone."

His friends don't say anything but they nod in understanding. They don't know whose turn it is to pick a movie this time, but they let Ashton pick since they know it's been a while since he last sat down with them and watched a movie. The humongous bag of kettle corn Michael bought is now gone, eaten away at during times of hangovers and stress, so the three settle for a large bowl of microwave popcorn. Ashton picks The Hangover, sending smirks at previously hungover friends. The movie makes them laugh, which Ashton definitely needs, and by the end of it, they're sitting on the floor again with an almost empty bowl of popcorn and a couple of beers in between them.

"How are you feeling, Ash?" Michael asks.

"Huh?"

"You know," Michael says, his voice lowering. "Since you've gotten here. How have you been feeling?"

"Oh." Ashton's eyes flicker between Michael and Calum, who are both looking at him with serious eyes. "I'm feeling good."

"Are you sure?" Calum asks.

Ashton nods confidently because yes, he is doing good. He's happy. "Yeah. I mean, I really can't thank you guys enough for taking me here. Really."

Michael's eyes light up as he smiles. "Ash, we've known you since grade school. We couldn't just sit back and watch you suffer in your apartment all alone on a nasty ass couch surrounded by dirty dishes and garbage."

Calum glowers at the bleach blond and, for the first time in a long while, smacks him upside the head. Michael lets out an 'ow!' "Anyway," Calum says, "I think what Michael was  _trying_ to say is that we care a whole lot about you, dude. I hope you know that. I mean, we wouldn't have taken you here if we didn't." Michael looks at Calum, looks back at Ashton, and nods.

Ashton thinks back to Luke's words from a few nights before. Even a boy from outer space notices that his friends care deeply for him. Ashton has no clue as to why it's so difficult for him to see. He  _knows,_ obviously, but he never remembers. It's hard for him to remember. He doesn't know when his memory got so bad. He doesn't even remember when he started lounging around so much that he basically became one with his couch.

It's times like these where now Ashton has no choice but to remember. Going on a vacation is filled with memories, and if Ashton can't remember that he spent a vacation in Florida with his two best friends (and that they took him because they  _care about him_ ), then he might as well lock himself in his apartment and never come out again.

"You're like, really great, Ashton. And I'm not saying that because I had a couple beers. Really, I'm not even drunk. You're a really good person, Ash. I hate getting all sentimental and shit but you gotta know that," Michael adds.

Ashton blinks because he knows that tears are prickling in his eyes, but Calum knows all too well what that means. "Aw, bring it in, everybody. Group hug!" Calum gives the best hugs, and it's been so long since they've had a group one. They lie like that for a while, in a pile of hugs, buttery popcorn, beer, and Ashton's tears, and before they know it, it's eleven at night.

Everyone turns in for the night because according to Calum, they're spending the whole day at the amusement park whether they like it or not, so "best get some good night's sleep!" Ashton does all his nightly routines before he plops down onto his bed. He lets out a long sigh, wondering what Luke is doing. He's probably staring out at the night sky as Ashton has often caught him doing. He really wonders if Luke is completely aware of his home and everything about it and is just lying to them about it. He doubts it, but it's a possibility.

That's when Ashton is reminded of the box. It's still sitting on his nightstand, still unopened. The note is right next to it, and Ashton reads it again, hoping to get some kind of new information out of it. He gets nothing, however.

He picks up the box and shakes it. It's strange that he never thought to do that before, but he's quite surprised when there's no noise. It can't just be an empty box. It's sealed shut, it has a carving of the Cancer symbol, it came with Luke, and there's just  _no way there's nothing in it._

Ashton tries to open it again. It still doesn't open, but the lid moves slightly. He finds it quite peculiar, but no matter how hard he tries to open it, the lid doesn't come off. It just moves a smidge. It teases him with whatever its contents may be. Ashton sighs and sets the box back down on the nightstand. He wonders if it'll ever open.

His bed is cold. It's strange. His bed has never been this cold before, and it really shouldn't be, considering he's in fucking Florida. But he still shivers with a whole blanket on, his arms wrapped tightly around himself. His room doesn't smell like outer space.

It just smells like a void.

-

Luke comes out of his room in the morning, to Michael and Calum's surprise, but not so much to Ashton's. They're already gathered at the kitchen island when he comes down the stairs, and he takes his usual seat next to Ashton. Wordlessly, Calum hands him his plate, and Luke begins to eat it silently. The others exchange awkward glances, not knowing who should speak up first, if at all.

Ashton doesn't want to be the one to say something. He doesn't know why. He's not exactly tired of having to talk to Luke, but it's become somewhat of a chore. He has no clue what to say to Luke anymore.

"So, um." Ashton thanks the lord above him that Calum is the first one to speak. "The amusement park today. We're leaving at eleven."

Luke nods. "And, uh, Luke. Are you... okay?" Calum asks. Ashton thinks it brave.

The blond boy nods again, but this time, he speaks. "I am. I apologize if I alarmed anybody last night. I felt a bit... overwhelmed, I guess."

Calum frowns a bit, but then his face lights up and bursts into a smile, taking Ashton aback. "Well, the amusement park is the perfect solution for that! I think you'll really like the rollercoasters if you like being up high."

Luke raises an eyebrow. "Rollercoaster?"

"It's a ride that takes you up super high and then launches you back down at ridiculous speeds," Michael explains. He recreates the motion with his hand, raising it up and curving it slightly as he plunges it back down. He even adds a 'whoosh' sound effect. "You'll see it for yourself. Just don't eat too much or you'll probably puke." Ashton and Calum glance at each other, knowing how it would probably freak the other people out if Luke were to throw up again.

"Okay," Luke says. "I do enjoy being up high, like when we went parasailing. I think I will like this too."

"I hope so," Calum chuckles. "It's way different though. Like, it'll send your stomach all the way up to your chest." Luke's face twists into one of discomfort. "Not literally! It'll just feel like it."

Luke nods, still looking doubtful. As they continue eating their meal, Ashton sneaks glances at Luke. He still hasn't said anything. He figures he probably should eventually, but he can't bring himself to for some reason. He just hopes Luke will enjoy the amusement park as much as he knows Michael and Calum will.

When they depart, the forty-five minute drive is filled with 80s pop rock and 2000s hip hop. Luke gazes out the window the entire time as Michael and Calum belt out the lyrics to whatever song is playing. Ashton hums along to some of the songs, but most of the trip is spent looking at Luke. Luke doesn't once look back at him.

-

Ashton hasn't been to an amusement park since he was a kid. He didn't exactly enjoy rides that made his stomach churn when he was younger, but maybe things have changed and he'll actually enjoy himself this time around. What he does love, and will probably always love, is the greasy and overly-sweet food at amusement parks, but he knows he'll have to wait until they're done with rides to indulge in some overpriced park food.

Calum grins as he pulls out what look to be special entrance passes. "Ordered these bad boys a couple days ago. Free rides."

"No fucking way," Michael gasps, throwing his arms around the tanned boy. "You're fucking amazing, Cal. I love you."

"Hey, there are children around us!" Ashton tells him. "And constantly berating your friend is sure some way of showing your love."

Michael frowns as the four of them move up in line for the entrance booth. "I have other ways, you know."

"It's fine," Calum says lightheartedly. "Anyway, we just hand these to the person at the front and they'll give us special stamps."

Sure enough, the four of them get stamped on their hands with the logo of the park. The first thing Ashton sees when they enter is the Ferris wheel, standing tall and proud above every other ride. There's a rollercoaster about the same size, but Ashton has always been drawn to Ferris wheels rather than spinning rides that make him feel sick. From what he remembers, he loved going on the Ferris wheel, especially at night, when the park was illuminated with a breathtaking showcase of vibrant colorful lights. He hopes this park will have the same thing.

"So, where to first?" Michael asks the group.

"Should we ride the rollercoaster first? Y'know, just to get it out of the way?" Ashton suggests.

"There are like, three rollercoasters here," Calum says. "Wanna go on the biggest one? I'm sure the line for that one is massive."

The rollercoaster Calum is referring to is the one that rivals the size of the Ferris wheel in terms of height. From what Ashton can see, the track is long and winding in directions that he can't even distinguish. His stomach turns at the mere thought of it. "Or, we could go on the smaller rides and work our way up," Calum adds.

"I like that idea," Michael says. "Ash?"

"Yeah, sounds good," Ashton replies almost immediately.

Luckily the heat isn't unbearable. The amusement park is surprisingly big, and it's not Disney World, so it's not ridiculously overpriced (it's still expensive, just not Disney-level expensive). Walking around is actually really nice, as the sun isn't too harsh on this particular day. The first ride they stop at is a freaking carousel, because Calum is extremely excitable about the smaller things, but this time, Michael is just as excited.

"I don't see why you two are so excited over a ride that goes around in circles," Ashton comments as they mount their plastic horses. "It's literally so boring."

Calum giggles and hops onto one of the taller ones. "Shut up Ash, you're just no fun." Michael takes the one right next to him.

Ashton scoffs and the ride starts. He seriously doesn't understand why his friends are getting excited over a ride meant for small children. He and Luke are on horses right behind Michael and Calum, watching as their giggles only increase in volume as the ride picks up the tiniest amount of speed. Luke leans up against the pole of his horse. "This is a ride?"

"One of them, yeah. It's meant for children, which means it's absolutely perfect for those two bozos."

"We're right in front of you, you know!" Calum exclaims. He turns his body around on his horse, facing Luke and Ashton.

Luke chuckles. "I quite like it. Not as much as you and Michael seem to, but the motion is soothing."

Ashton actually agrees with that. The slow pace and the gentle ocean-like movements of the horse can definitely lull him to sleep. Michael turns around as well. Ashton feels like normally one would get in trouble for that due to safety reasons, but none of the people around them seem to care, especially since the two people in question are grown adults.

"Oh yeah, Luke, this ride is nothing compared to that rollercoaster we saw earlier. Like we said, we're starting small and gradually building up," Michael says.

"Speaking of which, what do you reckon is a good one after this?" Calum asks.

"I saw one of those swing thingies earlier. How about that one?" Michael looks to Ashton and Luke for approval.

Ashton shrugs, knowing that Luke won't have any input. "Sure."

Michael smiles and claps. The ride is over in a minute, and as the four of them exit the ride they get questioning looks from bystanders. Ashton notices, but Michael and Calum are too busy bounding off to the next ride to pay attention.

The suggested ride is one of those giant swing-like contraptions that lift you off the ground and spins around in a circle. The seats are meant for two people, and the four split off into the usual pairs. Michael and Calum take the one behind Ashton and Luke. "So, what does this one do?" Luke asks.

"It raises you up a bit, and it starts spinning in a circle. It's a bit faster than the last one, and your feet lift off the ground. It's pretty nice," Ashton answers, and Luke nods.

The machine whirs to life, picking everyone's feet up off the ground. It starts moving slowly, eventually speeding up to the point where their seat points at a slight downward angle. Ashton can hear Michael and Calum cheering from behind him. They're the only ones cheering.

Ashton chuckles and looks back at his friends. "You two are ridiculous!" he shouts.

"You're no fun!" Michael exclaims back, continuing to laugh.

Ashton turns back, looking over at Luke, who is glancing around with a giant smile on his face. The wind is causing his hair to blow back a bit, wild curls fluttering with the spinning motion of the ride. "Do you like this one too?" Ashton asks.

Luke turns to him, still smiling, and Ashton can feel his face fall, remembering that it's been some time since he's seen that smile of wonder. It brings him back to the day they went parasailing, how Luke's entire face brightened at the experience. His eyes, his smile, everything about him seemed to light up in childlike wonder and curiosity. "I do. It feels like I could be flying," he says.

Flying. Ashton thinks it's a good term to describe how he feels when he's with Luke.

When the ride ends, Calum's hair is a bit tussled from the wind. He jostles his head and fluffs his hair with his hand. "Man, if this ride messed up my hair, that rollercoaster is going to fuck it up completely." Michael laughs and attempts to mess up Calum's hair even more, only to have his hand smacked away. "Don't make me smack your head again. I'm trying to have fun."

The next few rides they go on are still pretty tame in comparison to what Ashton thinks the final rollercoaster will be like. A couple of them make Ashton's stomach turn a little bit, like the one that sends them straight up high and shoots them back down to the ground. That one makes his stomach feel like it's lurching into his throat, but as soon as he's off it, the adrenaline kicks in and makes him even more excited for the next rides. He thinks that if he can handle that one, he can handle the rollercoaster.

There are two other rollercoasters besides the gigantic one. They go on both of them, and Ashton gets through them no problem. They're fast and they jerk his head around a bit too much for his liking, but they're not as fast as the preview Ashton has seen of the finale. He's excited for the last ride of the day, the biggest coaster in the park, that is, until they're actually standing in line for it. He can feel his nerves catching up to him, and his stomach starts to turn again, and they haven't even boarded yet.

"Fuck," he mutters to himself. Calum and Michael are too busy trying to catch glimpses of every time the coaster takes off, watching as the people are launched up into the air. There's a monitor at the entrance to the ride, showing pictures of various people on the ride with mouths wide open in screams. Another line extends from the booth as people go up to buy the moment captured on film where they look their most terrified.

"Are you okay?" Luke asks, gently resting his hand on Ashton's shoulder. It's shaking a bit.

"I think," Ashton says. "I'm a bit scared, honestly, but I think I can get through it. Aren't you nervous?"

Luke shrugs. "I have liked every ride so far. I do not think this one will be any different."

"It's a lot different," Ashton tells him. "It's higher and faster than any other ride we've been on today."

"I meant that I do not think I will not like this ride," Luke clarifies. "I understand that it is a bit more intimidating than the others, but I still think I will like it. The last rollercoaster we went on was amazing." He gazes up at the monitor. "This ride takes pictures?"

"Yeah. When you go down for the first time, a camera set up on the ride takes a picture of the moment, and you can buy it as a keepsake," Ashton explains. "Although, most of the times the faces people make are quite unflattering, since you're, y'know, being plunged downwards to a possible death."

Luke hums, continuing to stare at the monitor as it flips between pictures of the most recent riders. "Could we get one?"

"Yeah, definitely," Ashton says. "I think Michael and Calum would definitely want one so they can make fun of each other."

When they're seated and strapped in securely, Ashton feels like his heart is beating out of his chest. Even with Luke in the seat right next to him, his heart continues the thump. His mind is a mess of nervousness. He's not even thinking. It's just his body telling him to get the fuck off the ride before you fall out of the rollercoaster and die. He can hear Michael and Calum squealing in the row behind him.

He feels another warm hand on his arm. "Ashton." It's Luke, his blue eyes looking straight into his, a small smile on his face. "It will all be okay."

The smile is unlike the other one Ashton knows. It's tiny, the corners of his mouth only slightly curved, but it holds comfort, warmth, and reassurance that  _everything will be okay._ Ashton nods and takes a deep breath and Luke removes his hand from his arm. The coaster shakes a bit as it begins to take off. The people in line cheer as it makes its ascent, yelling 'good luck!' among other things. Ashton reminds himself to take deep breaths as the coaster makes its way up. The tracks go up for what seems like an eternity, and before Ashton knows it, he's several feet off the ground, and there's nothing around him besides rollercoaster track, thin air, and Luke.

The ride halts at the top. Ashton knows what's coming next. It's going to tease, leave them up there for several seconds before launching them downwards. This is the part that Ashton hates with every fiber of his being because he just wishes it would go already instead of building up nauseous anticipation.

"Ashton," he hears Luke say beside him. "Why are we stopped up—"

But then the ride starts to move again, slowly, until it finally plummets, and Ashton's organs in his lower body lunge up into his throat so hard that they might as well shoot out the top of his head. He lets out a bloodcurdling scream, so loud that he barely even hears Michael's over his, and Michael is the loudest screamer out of all of them. The first turn is a sharp left, which causes Ashton's head to jerk in the same direction. It hurts a lot more than the last rollercoaster since this one is much faster with more abrupt twists and turns. He can't even tell what face he's making, but he imagines it's one of pain and terror.

Calum is screaming in short bursts behind him, each one separated by a sharp inhale of sorts. Michael screams until his lungs give out, and Ashton can finally start to hear his friend's over his own, high-pitched and filled with a mix of excitement and absolute panic.

When the first loop happens, Ashton shuts his eyes tightly, not wanting to see how the world looks upside down. His body presses up against the latch that's keeping him, well, alive, and he holds onto it for dear life. His fingers dig into it so hard that his nail beds start to hurt. Once he feels the last loop, he reopens his eyes, but continues screaming because the ride isn't over yet.

His head jerks to his right, and he's met with a beautiful sight.

It's Luke's wonder-filled smile, his mouth slightly agape with the tiniest amount of fear, but it's enough to make Ashton tune out the rest of the world, the absolute horror he's feeling inside because of how fast the ride is taking him, and his world falls straight into Luke's. It's as if everything around him stops, and all he can hear are the sounds escaping Luke's lips. It's a mixture of screaming and laughing, mostly laughing, and Ashton swears he's never heard anything more beautiful.

Of course he doesn't stop screaming, but then Luke meets his gaze and he finds himself laughing too.

He's lost in Luke's world. Lost in outer space.

The ride comes to an end in an instant after that. As soon as it starts to slow, Ashton is snapped out of his astronomical reverie. It comes to a fairly abrupt stop and hisses, signaling the end of the ride. An automated voice announces the end of the ride, and the latches unlock, releasing the people from their seats. When Ashton attempts to stand up, he nearly falls over, but Luke is there to catch him. He's standing already, straight and proud. "Th-thanks," Ashton says, breathless.

Luke smiles at him and helps him off the ride. When he glances over to Michael and Calum, they're using each other as crutches, still trying to come down from the adrenaline. "Oh... oh my god. I'm dying. I'm gonna die," Michael pants.

"You're not gonna die, you idiot," Calum says, just as breathless. "We're past that."

"It sure fucking feels like I'm dying," Michael retorts. Though the two are barely able to walk straight, they still make their way to the picture line. Ashton and Luke follow closely behind and stand in line beside them. Eventually Ashton's breathing evens out, but his heart continues to race. He takes deep breaths, feeling his arms and legs strengthen until he's finally able to stand upright.

"Are you okay now?" Luke asks as if he can sense Ashton's recovery.

Ashton nods, still a bit shaky. "Yeah, I think so." They're almost at the front of the line now. He looks over to his two friends, who are still leaning up against each other. "You guys okay now?"

"Yeah," Calum answers.

"Then why are you still... never mind."

They end up buying two copies of the same photo. It captures all four of them and a little bit of the people in front and in back of them. Ashton and Calum's faces look almost identical, eyes barely open and mouth dropped wide open. Michael smirks as he looks at himself in the photo; his eyes are squeezed shut in an attempted smile, holding up two rock signs. Somehow he managed to do that. And Luke, well, Ashton thinks he looks just as stunning as he usually does.

His eyes are shut as well, but his smile is still there, still painted brilliantly onto his face, and now Ashton has a physical picture of it.

"What the fuck, Michael? How did you do that?" Calum asks, staring down at the picture.

"Trust me, it took a lot more effort than you might think," Michael says. "I had to hold that pose pretty much the entire drop since I didn't know exactly when the camera took the picture. I'm so glad it actually worked."

Calum scoffs but smiles anyway. Ashton has to admit, it's pretty impressive that Michael was able to do that. "So," the bleach blond says, "rigged games and food now?"

"Fuck yeah," Calum says, giving him a high-five.

-

Apparently the rollercoaster had actually given Ashton an appetite rather than taking it away. He munches on all the greasy food he can think of, including those really nasty but somehow also really good onion blossoms. He and Luke sit down at one of the picnic tables while Michael and Calum play at one of those water gun shooting games nearby. Ashton watches and something happens that makes Michael swipe at Calum's shoulder.

"What are they doing?" Luke asks.

"Oh," Ashton says, "it's a game. There are bunch of different ones here. The one they're playing right now is one where you have to shoot water at the center of a target and try to get it to rise all the way up to the top. You get a prize at the end sometimes."

"What sort of prize?"

"Just a cheap stuffed animal, usually," Ashton answers, shrugging. "I think they're just playing because they want to shove as many wins as they can get down each other's throats."

Luke chuckles. "That sounds like them." Curiously, he takes a piece of the blooming onion and pops it into his mouth. "Interesting," he says as he chews it.

"I know, they're pretty weird, but they're not the weirdest thing here," Ashton says.

Suddenly, Michael and Calum come rushing towards them. Michael's holding a giant stuffed banana with a stupid face on it. "Look what I won!" he exclaims, hugging the plush tightly.

Calum frowns and attempts to slap him, only to be blocked by the giant banana. "I have a banana shield now. I'm untouchable." Michael grins, making Calum frown further.

"How did you manage to win that?" Ashton asks. From what he can see, the banana isn't even a prize from the game they just played.

"He flirted with the girl at the booth next to us," Calum says, rolling his eyes. "I seriously don't know how she fell for that shit. I bet you couldn't even win a prize that big fair and square."

Michael practically shoves the banana into Ashton's arms. "We'll see about that, fucker." He turns to Ashton. "Cal and I are gonna be a while. If you wanna go off and do other things, feel free. Just text me when you wanna meet up." He turns back to Calum, glaring at him. "You're on."

Without another word, Michael and Calum storm off to play more games, leaving Ashton with a giant banana and a very confused Luke. "Sheesh. They're not gonna win anything this big. The games are always rigged."

"Rigged?" Luke questions.

"Yeah. The games are purposely messed with so that they're almost impossible to win," Ashton explains.

"How?"

Ashton shrugs. "I don't know exactly. I think they're like, optical illusions meant to trick people. A lot of the time they mess with your field of vision or warp the game itself so it makes it difficult to win. Most of the time it's just luck."

"May I try one?" Luke asks.

"I mean, if you want," Ashton says. "It doesn't hurt to try. You might get lucky."

Once he finishes the last of his onion, the two scour around for a game for Luke to play. They find some sort of ring toss game with a bunch of bottles centered inside the booth. Numerous people stand on the outside, attempting to toss the rings onto the spouts of the bottles. Almost all of them bounce off the bottles, making clink sounds as they do. Some manage to land, but not many. Luke watches the people play, his brow furrowed in observation. "I would like to try this one."

Ashton hands the employee some cash, and Luke is handed a bucket full of red plastic rings. He picks one up and examines it. The people around them continue to throw their rings aimlessly, as most would since they also probably know the game is rigged somehow. Luke watches as some more people toss the last of their rings, completely missing the spouts. With one last look at the red ring, he glances out at the sea of bottles and flicks the ring, and there's a clink sound.

Except the ring doesn't bounce off the bottle. It lands, swirling down onto the bottle's spout. A few people cheer lowly, and the booth operator says, "Looks like we got a lander!"

Beginner's luck, Ashton figures, but then Luke tosses another one, further out this time, and it lands  _again._ His mouth falls open, watching as Luke tosses ring after ring at different bottles close and far, and he lands  _every single one._ The people around them stop throwing theirs just to watch Luke, their eyes and mouths widened in shock. Luke reaches into his bucket and frowns. "Oh. It seems I am out of rings."

Ashton gazes out upon the layout of bottles. There are red rings everywhere, all having landed right on the necks of the bottles. "H-how," he hears the employee gasp.

Luke glances up at the stuffed animals hanging from the booth. They come in all sizes, and Ashton figures that since he literally landed every single shot, he would get one of the bigger ones. "Do I get one of these?" he asks, pointing upwards.

"Oh, um, yeah," the employee stutters. He points along the row of the biggest prizes. "You can choose any of those, or a smaller one, if you'd like, but considering how you did..." His eyes look back to the bottles. "I think I'll let you have two of the big ones."

Luke smiles gratefully at the employee and leans over to Ashton. "Which one do you like?"

Ashton's eyes roam over the row of stuffed animals. "I don't know, the giant pug, I guess," he says, pointing at the wrinkly dog. "You can pick another one for yourself."

Luke nods and points at the pug. "I would like that one." He takes a look at the rest of the prizes for himself. "And... that one." He points at one of the smaller plushes, a red crab with silver sparkly accents.

The employee hands them their prizes, and Ashton can feel everyone's eyes on them as they walk away. He now holds two giant plushes in his arms, a giant banana and an even bigger pug. "Jesus, Luke, how the fuck did you do that?"

"I could see the bottles were slightly warped. It was a very minuscule change, mostly invisible to the naked eye, but that combined with the amount of bottles makes it impossible to aim properly." Luke explains casually.

"Then how did you see it?"

Luke shrugs. "I just did."

Ashton doesn't question it further. He needs to stop questioning things when it comes to Luke. At this point, he's pretty sure anything is possible with a boy from the stars. "Shall we go play another game?" Luke asks.

Ashton chuckles. "I don't think we could carry another enormous stuffed animal."

"Then what would you like to do?"

Ashton glances around, and he realizes that he hadn't noticed the sun beginning to set. Some rides and booths have already begun to light up. He smiles and answers with, "The Ferris wheel."

Luke looks up. The Ferris wheel is a bit of walk away from where they are currently, but Ashton thinks that by the time they get there, it'll be almost dark. "I am guessing that is the very tall wheel we saw when we first entered?"

"That's the one. Shall we go?" Ashton asks, playfully mocking Luke's tone.

The blond grins. "Of course."

-

There are more people in line for the Ferris wheel than Ashton had anticipated, but it works out in the end. By the time they get to the front, it's dark out. "So what does the Ferris wheel do?" Luke asks, gazing up at the enormous wheel.

"You sit in one of those carts," Ashton says, pointing at one of the small compartments, "and it just takes you around in a circle. It stops at the top. It's a very relaxing ride, if you would even call it one." He smiles, admiring the lights of the wheel. They alternate between all sorts of colors, mainly blue, pink, green, and orange.

The operator calls for the next few people. Ashton and Luke get into one of the carts and the attendant locks them in. The cart is surrounded on all sides by a tall plastic wall, making it nearly impossible to fall out. Ashton is glad the Ferris wheel here has decent protection, unlike some he's been on.

The wheel begins to turn again, sending Ashton and Luke up. At the first stop, they're about halfway up the wheel. It's still pretty high up, since the wheel is _massive_. Ashton feels like he can see all of the park just from halfway up, but he knows that's not true. He watches as the ground gets farther and farther away. The people and booths shrink, becoming mini versions of themselves. He wonders where Michael and Calum are.

They're almost at the top of the wheel when he hears Luke call his name. He continues to gaze out at the park, but he responds with, "Yeah?" He's too busy staring at the lights, now completely illuminating the night with colors unnatural to a normal night. He feels at peace. He knows he's not the only one in the world who feels calmed by lights and colors, but it's still important to him. It reminds him of simpler times during his childhood, when things weren't all about making money and finding a way to live a meaningful life.

"Ashton," Luke repeats more firmly.

He turns around to meet Luke's eyes. "Yeah, Luke?"

"I can tell you really like it up here," the blond says straight-faced.

Ashton nods and turns back slightly to gaze back out at the lit-up amusement park. "Yeah, I do."

There's a pause, and then Luke says, "Does it bring back good memories?"

In a way, it does. Ashton used to love going to the amusement park. There was one relatively close by to where he lived growing up, and his parents would take him and his siblings whenever they were well-behaved. Of course, his siblings were mere toddlers when he was a kid, so he was the one who got to go on all the rides. His dad was the one who accompanied him on all of them, except for the carousel...

Ashton remembers the picture his mother took of him on the carousel. He remembers it well. He was on a white horse with a gold saddle, holding onto the pole and smiling, a few of his teeth missing. He's pretty sure it was the first picture his mother took during the first trip to the amusement park. The beginning of an era, perhaps. It was the first ride he'd ever been on, and he was so proud because he was tall enough and brave enough to ride it alone. His mother had taken a lot more pictures, most of them being of him and his dad on the bigger rides. When he was finally tall enough, his dad took him on the rollercoasters. He was never fond of them, but they always gave him an adrenaline rush, and he would come off the ride laughing uncontrollably with his dad by his side.

"Yeah," Ashton answers.

Another pause. "Do you have pictures of them?"

Ashton looks back at Luke, confused. "Pictures of what?"

"Good memories," Luke says. "Do you have pictures of good memories?"

There's probably a box back at his mom's house. Most of them are good, he thinks, but he can't really remember. "Yeah, I think so."

Luke's face doesn't change. It's the same, stoic look that Ashton's grown familiar with, but he also knows that it's a look of deep thought. "You should hold onto them. You never know when you may need them."

Ashton looks at him questioningly. "What do you mean?"

Luke turns his head this time to look out at the lights. "Whenever you feel sad, sometimes it is good to remember the things that made you happy in the past, even if those things may make you sad in the present."

"What?" Ashton asks. He doesn't really understand Luke's logic. Why would he want to look at pictures that would make him sadder? He knows very well that looking at the pictures his mother took of him with his dad would make him sad, maybe so much that he'd even seclude himself in his room again. "That doesn't make any sense."

Luke keeps his eyes on the neon lights. "Perhaps. Then again, I would not know. I do not have any memories or pictures of my own. But I think if I were sad, I would look at pictures of times that made me happy, hold onto them, and remember them. I think that people tend to shut their memories out, especially the ones that may seem sour in the present, but I think it is important that they are not forgotten. Nothing that happens in life should be forgotten."

"Honestly, Luke, there really are some things that shouldn't be remembered. Sometimes really fucked up things happen, and those things are best forgotten," Ashton says lowly.

"I understand that," Luke says. "However, life is finite. It is something that has a beginning and an ending, from birth to death. And... I think that, in those years, good and bad things happen. Memories are lost when you die, so I believe it is best to remember them for as long as you have them."

Before Ashton can respond, Luke adds, "I think you take your life for granted, Ashton."

"What do you mean?"

"I do not mean that you take life in general for granted," Luke says. "I think you take  _your_ life for granted."

Ashton frowns. "Why do you think that? You... barely know me." He's struck with reality, that in the twenty-two years of his life, he's known Luke for about seven days, in contrast to Michael and Calum, who have known him for half of the years he's been alive.

Still, Luke nods as if he understands that as well. "You told me that before you came here, you were ready to rot away in your room." He pauses, looking down from the lights and at his hands. "If you were to have done that, you would have left behind so much. Michael, Calum, and your family, I assume. Your memories, the things only  _you_ have experienced, would have gone with you. Is... is that not sad to you?"

Luke looks at him, and despite the lack of actual light, his blue eyes seem to glow. For the first time, Ashton sees sadness in his eyes. "Everything that has happened in your life is special to  _you._ No one else can have whatever you had. The good and the bad. It is all unique to you. It is sad to me that you would let it all just... disappear."

Ashton swallows a lump in his throat as Luke continues. "There are people on this Earth that love and care about you, Ashton. Even if everyone currently in your life were to disappear, there are still people out there who  _will_ care about you."

Ashton can't bring himself to say anything. He doesn't know what he  _can_ say. He doesn't even know what he thinks. All he can do is stare back at Luke, into those blue eyes that gloss over like the actual ocean. The ride makes one more motion, and Ashton and Luke's cart makes it all the way to the top of the wheel. Luke finally breaks eye contact, eyes falling on everything around him. The sky filled with stars that seem to blink, the lights of the park igniting an extravagant display of color. There's a slight breeze that makes Ashton shiver.

"I belong up here," he hears Luke breathe.

The rest of the ride is spent in silence.

-

On the way home, Ashton doesn't hear the end of Michael and Calum's arguments. They have a bunch of small stuffed animals, none of them matching the size of the banana Michael 'earned.' A lot of the arguments are about who actually one the 'contest.' The music playing behind their bickering is soft indie tunes, ones that Ashton doesn't recognize, and he's just so tired and greasy that all he wants to do is shower and go to bed.

Luckily his friends don't drag him into their fighting, and when they get back to the house, Ashton makes a beeline straight for his bathroom, telling the rest of them that he's just gonna shower. He hopes they don't notice his hastiness, but knowing Michael and Calum, they won't.

He's quick to strip off his clothes and step into the running water, not even bothering to wait for it to heat up. There's immediate relief from the cold water pouring down on him that washes away his sweat and grease, followed by warm water which soothes his aching neck. The rollercoaster must have knocked it around a lot more than he thought.

He stands under the stream of water for five minutes without moving, watching the water swirl down the drain. Luke's words replay in his head, but they're jagged, incomplete pieces of a bigger meaning that Ashton can't figure out. He can't even remember exactly what Luke said to him. He leans his head against the shower wall, letting the stream hit his head directly as he tries to remember. Frustrated, he puts his hands up against the wall next to his head and lets his head bang against the shower wall. He doesn't do it too hard, but he can feel the impact, and it lets out a soft echoing thump.

"Ashton?" Luke's voice follows the thump.

"Luke?" He pulls back the curtains slightly, revealing a very concerned-looking Luke. "What the hell are you doing in here?"

"You did not lock the door," Luke says simply. "What is the matter?"

"I'm fine," Ashton lies. "Get out." It comes out a bit harsher than intended.

Luke shakes his head and starts stripping off his shirt. "Luke, what on earth are you—" The blond shushes him, completely taking him by surprise, and continues to remove the rest of his clothes. He pushes past him into the shower and the two of them stand next to each other awkwardly as the water continues to fall.

"Luke, why are you doing this?" Ashton asks, turning away from him and towards the water.

"You are upset," Luke observes. "Let me help you."

Ashton sighs, "Luke, I don't—" He's cut off as he feels a pair of strong hands grab his waist and another body press up against his back. It nearly takes the breath right out of him. "Please—"

"Please what?" Luke asks, pressing his lips to Ashton's neck. Ashton doesn't even know what he was going to say, honestly. He doesn't know if it was 'please stop' or just 'please,' but he's just so lost in Luke that it no longer matters.

"I don't... I don't understand," is what he ends up saying.

"You do not need to," Luke murmurs, his breath tickling Ashton's neck. His hands sneak around to Ashton's front, meeting right above his pelvic bone. They rest there, and Ashton can feel himself getting harder by the second. "Just feel." His hands lower even further until one of them grasps Ashton's half-hard cock, making the boy gasp at the sudden contact. "Don't think."

Luke's tongue darts out onto Ashton's neck. The mixture of the steam from the shower and the feeling of Luke's tongue on his neck sends him into paradise, and he can immediately feel himself relaxing. He breathes in, and out, as Luke works his tongue along his neck and down his shoulder. Luke strokes his cock lazily, the water making it easier to slide his hand up and down. Soon enough, Ashton is fully hard in Luke's hand, and he's about had enough of not facing Luke. He finally turns around, wasting no time in attacking Luke's lips with his own, wrapping his arms around the back of Luke's neck.

Ashton kisses Luke like it's his life, feeling the blond boy's hardening cock against his fully hard one. The kiss causes Luke to whimper into Ashton's mouth, but he doesn't let up. He kisses Luke with everything he has. Steam filters into his nostrils, and it's starting to smell like outer space again.

Luke is the first one to pull away, leaving Ashton breathless. "Luke—" He's cut off when he sees Luke drop to his knees. "Luke, you really don't have to do this."

"I want to," the blond says, holding the base of Ashton's cock. He glides his tongue along the underside, making Ashton nearly fall back at the sudden pleasure. The heat from the shower is making Luke's mouth feel even hotter as the boy wraps his lips around his length. His tongue continues to work along it, swirling around the girth as he moves his head up and down, almost flawlessly. His wet curls are sticking to his forehead, almost covering his eyes. Ashton swipes the loose strands from his forehead and grabs at Luke's hair, tangling his fingers in the wet locks. He gently guides Luke's head onto his cock, not that he needs to.

He can't think. It's not because Luke told him not to, he just  _can't,_ not with Luke's mouth on his cock, giving him a very much improved blowjob from the last time. Even though Luke was drunk the first time, he still managed to do well, and this time, he's doing even better. Whether it's because he's sober, he's learnt more, or both, Ashton doesn't care. All he can do is feel.

Luke pops off of Ashton's cock and stands up, leaving him frowning. "Luke, what—"

"I want you to fuck me tonight," Luke says.

Though his cock leaps at that, his reasoning kicks back in. "Luke, I told you—"

"I know what you told me," Luke interrupts him. "And I would like you to fuck me."

Ashton looks up at him, still unable to believe how much taller Luke is, and frowns. "I don't... I don't know, Luke."

"I want to know what it's like." Luke grabs his hips again and holds him close. "Please, Ashton."

Ashton sighs, but then Luke is grabbing hold of one of his wrists and guiding his hand to his ass. "Luke, Jesus, you're driving me crazy here." He gives Luke's cheek a squeeze, causing the boy to yelp in surprise.

"I want to know," Luke repeats. "And if I don't like it, I'll tell you to stop."

Ashton glances back up to his eyes, now hooded with lust, and who is Ashton to say no? After all, Luke is reinforcing what he's told him from day one. After a few moments of consideration, he nods. "Okay."

Luke smiles and sighs as he connects their lips again. He lets go of Ashton's wrist, circling it back around his waist. Ashton takes this opportunity to bring his other hand around, one resting on the small of Luke's back, and the other running a finger down along Luke's hole. The blond boy whimpers into his mouth at the unfamiliar sensation.

Though it's not lube, the water makes it a bit easier. Ashton prods at his hole at first, moving his finger in tiny circles around the rim before pushing in ever-so slightly. Luke squeals, pulling away from Ashton's lips. "Is it okay?"

Luke nods shakily. "Yes, just... weird."

Ashton chuckles. "I know." He takes his finger out and continues pressing it against Luke's hole, not pushing in, just to get the entrance to loosen up a bit. "If we're going to do this, it shouldn't be here." He shuts the water off, grabbing a towel from the rack next to the shower. Luke follows him Ashton out of the tub and lets him pat his body dry before he's pulling him by the wrist back into the bedroom.

Ashton pushes Luke down onto the bed and climbs on top of him. He doesn't know if he's being rough or not, he doesn't think he is, but his mind is overshadowed with nothing but desire. His reasoning is out the window at this point. He lets Luke rest his head on the pillows as he trails short kisses down his front, giving a quick lick to the tip of his cock before nudging his legs apart. He hooks his hands under Luke's thighs and pulls him closer towards his mouth.

"This is gonna feel a little weird, okay?" Ashton says before his head disappears in between Luke's legs.

"Wha—oh!" Luke gasps at the feeling of Ashton's tongue pressing against his hole and licking up towards his balls. "A-Ashton, what are y-you doing?"

"I'm eating you out," Ashton replies, not lifting his head. He licks at Luke's entrance again, having to hold Luke down by his hips to prevent the boy from squirming. He grins to himself, as it reminds him of the first time he blew Luke. "You gotta stay still, babe."

Luke whines but complies, with the exception of an occasional twitch. Ashton spreads him further apart with his thumbs, sneaking his tongue past the tight rim. Luke cries out, silencing himself with his own hand. Ashton chuckles internally as he remember his first time being eaten out as one of the strangest yet most pleasurable experiences of his life. He can only imagine Luke must be feeling the same, probably a lot more intense.

When Ashton pulls away, he can see Luke's hole glistening with his saliva. He smiles to himself as he reaches over for the lube. Hopefully that combined with his impressive rimming skills will make it a lot easier for Luke. He squirts a solid amount onto his fingers and looks down at the boy, who is watching him intently. "This might hurt, okay? The first time always does. Just tell me if you need me to stop," Ashton reminds him, and the boy nods.

He pushes his first finger in as slowly as he can, but he watches Luke's face twist into one of slight discomfort. "Okay?" Ashton asks.

"Yes, it doesn't hurt. It's just strange," Luke answers. "You can keep going."

Ashton nods, pumping his finger in and out of him slowly. He repeats the same motion until he's met with little resistance and he brings in a second finger, looking up to Luke for approval. His second digit nudges against his first, stretching the entrance until it slides in along next to the other. He hears Luke whimper quietly as he scissors his two fingers inside of him. When he sees Luke's face relax, he takes it as a sign to add a third.

He adds a bit more lube before pushing in a third. He knows that a third can usually be a bit much at first, so he takes it slow, making sure to continue to spread Luke open with his first two fingers. When he pushes in the third finger, Luke inhales sharply, almost causing Ashton to retract his hand entirely. "F-fuck," Luke gasps, and Ashton glances up to make sure he's okay. "Keep going. Doesn't hurt, it's just... full."

"Remember—"

"To tell you if I need you to stop," Luke finishes for him. "I know."

Ashton chuckles, moving his three fingers around inside Luke. He pushes them in and out, stretching Luke as best he can, occasionally glancing up at Luke to see if he's okay. His head is thrown back against the pillow, eyes closed and face content. Eventually he's able to move the three fingers in and out smoothly, and he smirks to himself as he pushes up into Luke further, trying to see if he can find his spot.

He knows he's hit it when Luke's eyes shoot open and his mouth drops in a loud cry. "Ashton, w-what was that?"

"Remember when you were fucking me and I nearly screamed?" Luke nods. "There's a spot deep in there and when you hit it, it feels really good." To show an example, Ashton thrusts his fingers up into harder, and the boy bites his lip hard to prevent himself from crying out. "See?"

"Y-yes," Luke squeaks. "I-I think, I think I can..."

"Are you sure?" Ashton asks, but he's already reaching over to grab a condom.

Luke stops him, grabbing his wrist before he can pick one up. "N-no, I want to feel you."

Figuring Luke is clean since he's literally from the stars, Ashton retracts his hand. He picks up the lube though, removing his fingers and slicking his cock with the slippery substance. Pressing the head of his cock against Luke's hole, he looks down at the boy's eyes one more time before slowly pushing forward. Luke's mouth drops open as Ashton pushes further and further in. He winces about halfway in, and Ashton pauses, allowing the boy to adjust.

"Are you okay?" Ashton asks.

"Yes," Luke pants. He grabs onto one of Ashton's arms and sighs, blinking a couple times before telling him to continue.

Their eyes stay locked on each other's as Ashton pushes the rest of the way in, and Luke gasps once he's reached the hilt. "I-is it in?" he asks.

"Yeah," Ashton replies. "How is it?"

"Full," Luke says. "Can you move it?"

Ashton nods, circling his hips lightly. He watches as Luke's face changes with each of his movements, but none of them seem to read pain. Feeling a bit more comfortable, he pulls back a small amount and pushes back in, causing Luke to gasp. "Oh, f-fuck. That—that felt good. Do that again." Ashton obliges, pulling back a little more this time and thrusting harder. Luke's pants turn into moans as Ashton rocks his hips, pushing in and out of him slowly.

"Oh, Ashton," Luke sighs, releasing his arm to grab at his own cock. "I-It feels good. Can you go faster?"

"Of course," Ashton says, picking up the speed of his thrusts. As he speeds up, Luke's noises grow louder until there isn't a hint of discomfort in his voice. Ashton works up to a steady pace, finally able to relax and he realizes  _holy shit,_ he's inside Luke and it's hot and tight around his cock and he can't remember any other time he's ever had sex. Luke squeezes perfectly around him as he thrusts in and out. He's barely able to control his own moans because even though he doesn't know what outer space feels like, he thinks this might be it.

Everything around him is just Luke. He thinks he's in outer space.

Ashton leans down and catches Luke's lips with his own, their foreheads pressing together as their tongues intertwine. Luke moans into Ashton's mouth, and Ashton can feel him clench tighter around him. "Fuck, Luke," he says once he's pulled away from Luke's lips.

Ashton doesn't know where Luke learned this, or if he learned it at all, but the blond boy raises his legs and crosses them behind him, locking him into place. "A-Ashton, please, harder," he moans beneath him.

"Oh my god,  _Luke,_ " Ashton gasps, but he complies, thrusting even harder and deeper into the boy now that he's got his legs pulling him in. He pounds down deeply into him, and he can't help but notice that he's doing surprisingly well for a first timer.

There's a particularly hard thrust that causes Luke to cry out, not muffled this time. "Oh, Ashton, right there!"

Luke's words are enough to push Ashton onward. He wants Luke to feel as much pleasure as he is. He wants Luke to  _feel._

They're covered in both sweat and the water from the shower alike as their lips collide again. Ashton can feel Luke's hand moving beneath him, jerking himself off in time with Ashton's thrusts. Luke mewls into Ashton's mouth until he accidentally bites his lip and pulls away. "A-Ashton, 'm coming, gonna come."

At Luke's words Ashton is instantly on the brink as well. "Oh, f-fuck." Luke lets out a high-pitched moan as he releases onto his stomach, painting his skin with his come. His legs are still crossed behind Ashton, still holding him in place, and Ashton knows he has to get Luke's legs off him because he's literally about to come. As if Luke can sense this, he pulls his legs in tighter and shakes his head. "N-No, Ashton, come inside me, _please_."

With a long, drawn out moan of Luke's name, Ashton spills inside him, filling him up with his come. Luke continues to moan as he feels Ashton's cock throb inside him, his warm come coating his insides. They're both panting messes when they come down from their high, wetness dripping down from their heads, and they don't know if it's water or sweat.

Ashton pulls out slowly, causing Luke to whine at the sudden empty feeling. He collapses beside the blond boy, exhausted, and in need of another shower.

He doesn't know when they became telepathic (well, not literally), but they just smile at each other and get up from the bed and back into the shower. Luke lets Ashton's come drip down his thighs, washing it away. They smile at each other, not having said a word yet, but Ashton thinks that's okay. He doesn't need words.

Once they're finished, they dry themselves, put on a fresh change of clothes, and collapse onto Ashton's bed. They stare up at the ceiling, where the dim light of Ashton's room hangs from uselessly (really, it's so dim that daylight lights the room up more than it ever could). Though dim, it's a comforting incandescent glow.

"Ashton." Luke is the first one to speak. "Thank you for that."

Ashton turns his head to see Luke looking at him. "You're welcome."

Luke turns back to the ceiling and sighs. "Ashton, do you believe that things happen for a reason?"

He shrugs. "I don't think so, no. I don't think humans have predispositioned lives that are mapped out by fate."

"I do not think so either, but I think fate is different," Luke says. "Like you said, fate is basically an invisible map that every life must follow, which is different from things happening for a reason. I do think things happen for a reason. I think... I think I am here for a reason."

Ashton turns his body towards Luke, now intrigued, but the blond boy doesn't move an inch. "What do you mean?"

"The note and the box that I came with," Luke says, "remember how we discerned at the beginning that perhaps I am meant to fill a task?"

Ashton nods. "I cannot help but think that that is the reason I became human. I still do not know what that task is, but that is my purpose here on Earth."

Luke gazes up at the ceiling, not meeting Ashton's eyes. Ashton frowns because no, that can't be the only reason he's here with him. He finds himself wrapping an arm around Luke's torso, holding onto him tightly. "That can't be the only reason you're here," Ashton mumbles. "I refuse to believe that."

"Why?" Luke wonders.

"You're making it sound like that task is the only reason you exist here," Ashton says, "which is wrong. You... you're too important. To me, to Michael and Calum. To this planet. The universe wouldn't be so cruel as to put you here for the sole purpose of fulfilling a task."

Luke lets out a long sigh. Ashton can see the same frown on his face, the same one from the Ferris wheel. "Luke, is there something you're not telling me?" Ashton asks, feeling his worry building up.

Luke swallows and says, "The universe is cruel to people who do not deserve it." He finally looks over to Ashton, his blue eyes glassed over, and a tear falls from one of them. "You were dealt a bad hand of cards in life, Ashton, I know it. The universe was cruel to you. It took your father away from you."

Ashton's eyes widen. "No, Luke, it didn't," he says, bitterness laced in with his voice. "He left. The universe didn't 'take him away.'"

"But it did," Luke says in a calm voice, which almost soothes Ashton's heart. "The universe is not just the space we live in. It is not just some void that continues to expand. The universe is everything we know. Things happen for a reason. The universe makes those things happen." More tears begin to flow down Luke's face, but his voice doesn't waver. "It governs almost every aspect of our lives. I am not saying that the universe is the  _cause_ of everything, but..." He pauses and closes his eyes. Ashton notices Luke's tears pooling on the sheets. Through the damp red fabric, he can see sparkles. "Things happen for a reason, and those reasons are what lead up to life being so beautiful."

Ashton doesn't even register that his hand is raising up to cup Luke's face, wiping away the tears that continue to fall. "Ashton, your life is beautiful.  _You_ are beautiful. I do not want you to forget that. Ever," Luke says.

His eyes open, and Ashton can see an entire galaxy. Bits of purple and pink and green float around in the blue of his eyes, mingling with each other.

"No," Ashton gasps. Luke's eyes are burning into him. He's traveling. He's drifting along in outer space just looking into Luke's eyes. "No, Luke. You...  _you're_ beautiful."

Luke closes them again, shooting an asteroid through Ashton's heart. "We are alive, Ashton." He reopens them, and Ashton's heart shoots up like a rocket. "Therefore, we are both beautiful."

Ashton doesn't want to disagree with him. He actually doesn't disagree with him at all. For once, there's no nagging voice in the back of Ashton's head that screams that he isn't good enough. For once, there's nothing telling him that he's the reason his father left. Pictures and memories flood his brain all at once, flashes of the pictures his mother took back at the park. He rode upon his father's shoulders as he took him to see each ride. His father promised he would take him on those rides when he was tall enough, and he did.

He remembers it. He remembers it all.

He feels his own tears begin to fall. When he goes to wipe them away, his hand is covered in stars.


	9. supernova

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scary movies and smut. Ashton really starts thinking about things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> second to the last chapter! thanks for hanging on during this wild ride. this chapter is kind of a filler and practically contains nothing but banter and smut (except towards the end), but all will revealed in the next and final chapter :)

When Ashton wakes up, Luke is gone.

They'd fallen asleep together in Ashton's bed, which is nothing new, but Ashton's become a bit accustomed to Luke being next to him when he wakes up. It doesn't worry him at all, since he knows Luke is probably just somewhere in the house, but it's disheartening to say the least. Ashton wanted to wake up to Luke. Instead, he wakes up to an empty space, neatly made complete with a fluffed pillow.

As it turns out, Luke is on the balcony, staring out at the ocean. It's cloudy and humid, which can only mean rain.

"Oh, good morning Ashton," Luke says as he hears Ashton step out onto the terrace.

"Hi," Ashton replies, his voice small, uncertain if he wants to tell Luke that he really missed him this morning. He opts out.

"There are many clouds out today," Luke observes, staring up at the sky. "Where is the sun?"

"It's probably going to rain," Ashton tells him.

Luke looks at him questioningly, and it honestly surprises Ashton that he doesn't know what rain is. "Water falls from the sky, basically. Think of it like a giant shower," Ashton explains. The blond boy nods, continuing to stare at the overcast sky.

Sure enough, when Ashton checks the weather for Key West on his phone, the cloud with the drizzle symbol is there. He groans and heads back inside. Luke follows closely behind him. "Looks like we're just going to have to stay indoors today," Ashton says. "Oh, when you woke up, were Calum and Michael awake?" He checks the time, it's nine-thirty, which means there is an extremely slim chance of his friends being awake.

"Actually, yes," Luke says, surprising Ashton. "They said they were going to go shopping for things and that they would be back within the hour."

"How long ago did they leave?"

"About ten minutes before you woke up. I do not know what they are going shopping for, though. They did not say," Luke says with a shrug.

Ashton assumes they found out it was going to rain, so they're stocking up on extra junk food, possibly alcohol, maybe a board game or something. When they return forty-five minutes later, it's already begun to drizzle lightly, and they're carrying an ample amount of grocery bags. "Honey, I'm home!" Michael shouts, his obnoxiously loud voice echoing throughout the house.

"Good morning to you too, Mike," Ashton replies with a chuckle. He takes some of the bags from Calum's arms and peeks inside them, completely unfazed by what he sees. "You two are so predictable." His predictions are confirmed. Inside the first grocery bag he checks are mini chocolate-covered donuts, a bag of chips, and Oreos, and he can only imagine what else is in the rest of the bags.

Michael pulls out ridiculous amounts of beer from one of the bags. "We stopped by the liquor store too. I'm pretty sure we bought enough beer for the rest of the vacation."

"And," Calum adds, placing a different-looking bag down on the table, "I bought us all breakfast from that place we like. I'm sick of cooking for you ungrateful assholes."

"Hey!" Ashton cries, feigning hurt. "I am  _so_ grateful for you, Cal, I stop Michael from killing you every day."

"That's true," Calum says. He hands Ashton his breakfast. "Here, I got you the special."

"What? No you didn't! That's mine!" Michael attempts to pry the to-go container from Ashton's grip. "I paid for it! What the hell, Calum?"

Calum snickers and Ashton hands Michael the breakfast. "I don't know how I managed to put up with you two for so long," Ashton says, shaking his head. Calum hands him his  _actual_ breakfast, which is nothing short of Michael's.

"You love us," Michael sing-songs as he sits down next to his curly-haired friend.

"Yeah, I do," Ashton says.

The four of them eat their breakfast like they normally do, leaving the unpacking of the rest of the groceries until after they finish. Ashton's not surprised when he finds even more bags of chips and several bottles of alcohol, but he is a bit taken aback when he digs out a bag of pears. He holds them up and eyes them questioningly. "Pears?"

"What?" Michael says, frowning. "I like pears."

"You're... so weird." Ashton hands the pears over to Michael, who snatches them almost immediately.

"My pears. My... _pearcious_." The bleach blond hugs the bag close to his chest and crawls behind Ashton before Calum can hit him.

"I swear to god Michael, I am going to beat you with that bag of pears because of how terrible that joke was," Calum says stone-faced. Ashton is pleasantly surprised when he doesn't attempt to sneak a jab past him. At this point, Ashton figures that Calum is sick of hitting Michael because of how often Michael does something worth being hit over. Although it's entertaining, if it means less effort on Ashton's part, he certainly doesn't mind it. He would probably pay to see Calum beat Michael with a bag of pears, though.

Michael puts the bag of pears down on the counter and laughs. "I'm the comic relief of this group, I swear." He wipes a fake tear from his eye.

"No, you're just a moron," Calum mutters.

"And you're a pussy," Michael snaps. "You didn't wanna watch _The Conjuring_ today because you're too  _scared._ "

"Am not!" Calum argues, pouting. "I just said I didn't wanna watch it today!"

"Because you're  _scared_ ," Michael repeats snidely. He digs into one of the bags and pulls out the DVD. "I bought it at one of our stops earlier because I figured, hey, scary movies are perfect for a rainy day, and I swear I saw the fear in Calum's eyes as soon as I picked it up."

Ashton raises an eyebrow. "Really, Calum? You're afraid of _The Conjuring_?"

"No!" Calum frowns. "Fine, let's watch it! 'm not fucking scared of some cheesy horror movie!"

Michael grins. "We'll wait until the rain picks up. Apparently it's going to be a full thunderstorm and everything. Adds to the ambience."

"I'm down," Ashton says. He looks over to see Calum with a deep frown. "Come on, Cal, it's really not that scary of a movie."

"He wouldn't know, he's never seen it," Michael quips, "but if he's afraid of fucking _Paranormal Activity_ then he's going to be terrified of it."

"I am  _not_ scared of _Paranormal Activity!_ " Calum argues, his face red from anger, embarrassment, or both.

"Yes, you are," Michael laughs. "When we watched it together, you hid your eyes behind the blanket the entire time in case something popped out."

"Well yeah, because jump scares fucking suck!"

Ashton tunes out the bickering. Most of it is Michael going on about all the scary movies they've watched together and how Calum was scared of  _all_ of them, even the parody ones. It's eye roll-inducing at this point. He's watched all sorts of horror movies with them and he knows for a fact that Calum is an enormous scaredy-cat, making it equally hilarious and annoying whenever they do watch a scary movie together.

"Ashton," Luke murmurs under the sound of his friends' arguing, "what's _The Conjuring?_ "

"It's a horror movie," Ashton says.

"Horror?"

"Yeah, it's meant to scare you." And that's when Ashton realizes, Luke has never been scared before. The blond boy looks at him questioningly, awaiting an explanation. "It's... really hard to explain. To me, the movie isn't that scary, but to Calum, well." He motions to his friends arguing. "He's scared of a lot of things."

"Scared..." Luke repeats just above a whisper. "What's that feeling like?"

The last time Ashton had actually been scared of a movie was back in grade school when he watched  _Dawn of the Dead._ He wasn't able to sleep for weeks. Of course, after building up a thick shell and a tough resistance to horror movies and their cheap tricks, he became less afraid of movies and more afraid of the real world. He tries to channel his younger self watching the movie. "Um, you feel really queasy and shaky, and if you're Calum, you might scream a couple times."

"Hey!" Calum shouts. "I heard that!"

"It was meant to be heard," Ashton replies flatly. "Anyway, it's a really uneasy feeling. Horror movies are meant to be unsettling, and they use a lot of nasty imagery to make viewers feel sick to their stomachs."

Luke hums. "I see. It sounds interesting. I would like to watch the movie as well."

Ashton hears Michael laugh. "It would be fucking hilarious if Calum got scared and Luke didn't."

Calum goes to hit him this time, and he lands.

-

It's no surprise that Calum whimpers at least half of the movie.

He's fine during the beginning since it's all exposition, but Ashton notices how he progressively sinks further and further into his blanket. Michael watches the movie intently, the bowl of popcorn placed between him and Calum (although he eats almost all of it), not even noticing Calum's shrinkage. It's hilarious when the movie booms with loud music at the same time thunder strikes, and Calum screams, high-pitched and eardrum-shattering. It's enough to make Michael flinch _and_ knock the popcorn off the couch.

He pauses the movie just to yell at Calum for making him knock the popcorn over. Ashton has to intervene, of course, because he actually really wants to watch the movie with as little interruptions as possible. With a huff, the two sit back down but Calum still curls into his blanket, earning a scoff and a roll of the eyes from Michael.

Whenever Ashton glances over at Luke, his expression remains the same. Flat, emotionless, and seemingly deep in thought. Even during the climax, the exorcism, Luke keeps his eyes on the screen, lips completely flat and brow unfurrowed. A completely straight face. Even Michael has an uncomfortable look to his eyes.

It's funny that Calum has his eyes squeezed shut pretty much the entire scene. All his limbs are tucked into the blanket and he's gone into complete fetal position. Even when the movie ends and the credits roll, he doesn't unfurl from his regressed state.

The rain is still pouring down pretty hard when the movie ends. The first thing Ashton says is, "Damn, when's the rain supposed to stop?"

"Not until late tonight," Michael says. "Might be a flash flood warning, actually." He looks over at Calum, whose body has completely disappeared under the blanket. "Aw, would you look at that, Cal here is afraid."

"Yeah, I am," Calum cries from under the blanket. "I hated it."

Michael chuckles and pats the lump Calum's body has formed under the blanket. "It's okay, bud. We all knew it was gonna happen."

Calum fake-cries as Michael continues to pat him comfortingly. It warms Ashton's heart and makes him smile; even though his friends constantly argue and scream at each other, he knows that they're actually really fond of one another, and that's what makes their friendship strong.

He looks to Luke, whose eyes are still glued to the screen, even though it's just the credits. "Luke, what did you think?"

Luke finally looks up. Ashton and Michael are looking at him curiously. "It was confusing."

"Confusing how?" Michael questions.

"While the imagery was indeed disturbing, I did not understand anything that was happening." Luke frowns as his eyes land on Calum. "I cannot see why Calum is so distressed."

"Were you not scared by the movie?" Ashton asks.

Luke shrugs. "I do not think I was. Like I said, the imagery was disturbing, and it was difficult to watch at some points, but I did not feel that queasy sensation you told me about."

Michael and Ashton glance at each other and shrug. "I mean, I can see how you thought it was confusing. Witches and demons aren't really explainable to humans, let alone someone from outer space."

"It's fucked up," Calum mutters, his voice still muffled by the fabric of the blanket. "That's all you really need to know. Who the fuck sacrifices a baby to the devil?"

"Calm down, it's probably all bullshit anyway. Like, even though these people say the movie's based on true events I highly doubt it," Michael says.

"Michael," Ashton says, "if a star can come down in the form of a human, puke purple glitter, and manage to land every single ring in a ring toss game, I think witches and demons are a possibility as well."

Calum finally sits up and lowers the blanket. He and Michael look at Ashton like he has two heads. "Wait, what?" Michael says. "Puke purple glitter?"

"Oh, he didn't tell you about that?" Calum says. "Luke apparently puked an entire galaxy when he was hungover, and then was fine a few minutes afterwards. Not to mention his puke allegedly smelled like fruity cocktails and watermelon vodka."

Michael's mouth drops open as he glances at Luke in disbelief. "However," Calum continues, "what was that about a ring toss game?"

"Back at the amusement park," Ashton says. "We found a game where you had to throw a bunch of rings onto a bunch of bottles. Luke landed every single toss."

This time Calum's mouth also drops open. "Jesus,  _that's_ how you got the gigantic pug. I thought maybe you just got lucky at something or maybe used your flirtatiousness like Mr. Smooth over here." He motions to Michael, whose mouth is still dropped in shock. The bleach blond doesn't even have the mental capacity to argue as he's too focused on Luke's feats.

"But how?" Michael breathes. "How was he able to do that?"

"Ashton asked me the same thing," Luke says. "I told him I noticed the warped nature of the bottles, and combined with the fact that there were a lot of them, it created a skewed vision that is practically invisible to the human eye."

"But  _you_ saw it," Michael clarifies, and Luke nods. "Wow. That's... wow."

"Trust me, you should've seen everyone's faces," Ashton says proudly. He glances at Luke and smiles, who returns one back.

"Y'know," Michael says, "when Luke first got here, I had a really hard time believing what I was seeing. I mean, how the hell does a star just fall from the sky and turn into a human? Even now, it doesn't make any sense to me."

"Yeah," Calum agrees. "Trust me, I believe every word you're telling us, Ash. It's just all so surreal. How does this stuff happen?"

"I have no idea," Ashton answers. "I don't think Luke knows either." Glancing over at Luke, he finds the boy's eyes focused straight ahead of him. "Luke?"

"Hm?" Luke's eyes immediately lift. "Oh, sorry. I was thinking about it as well, and yes, you are right, Ashton. I have no idea how any of this happened." He says it flatly. Ashton eyes him suspiciously, but otherwise pays no attention to it.

Michael's mouth breaks into a wide grin. "Well, whatever the case, I'm glad it happened. Luke is a great addition to the team, don't you guys think?"

"Yeah!" Calum exclaims in agreement. He hops up from the couch, his enthusiasm regained, and pumps his fist in the air. "Hooray for friendship!"

He tackles Michael and Ashton in one go, pushing them both onto the couch in a pile of hugs. "Come on, Luke!" Calum says over the sound of his friends' groaning (he's on top of them for fuck's sake). "Join in on the big bro pile!"

Ashton sees the gigantic smile on Luke's face as he practically jumps onto the pile,  _over_ Calum, making the three boys wheeze out in surprise and slight pain. After all, Luke is the biggest out of all of them. The groaning transforms into laughter, and soon enough the four boys are practically rolling around on the floor in a mess of limbs. Ashton's knee knocks into someone's arm and someone's fist ends up in his hair and for once in his life, he doesn't mind a bit of chaos.

They end up with their heads resting next to one another's, sprawled out across the carpet of the living room. Ashton's smiling like an idiot.

"Hey, Ash," Michael says. "What's gonna happen when we get back?"

"Hey! Don't bring that up now. Can't we just live in the moment?" Calum argues.

Ashton chuckles. His head is in the clouds. "No, it's okay, Cal. I think... I think I'll be okay."

"You think?" Michael asks, his voice small. "That's not good enough. You  _will_ be okay."

"I gotta agree with Mikey on this one," Calum says. "You're gonna be just fine, Ash. You know we'll be with you every step of the way, right? And we can even bring Luke with us! Maybe he could be your roommate, then you wouldn't be alone in your apartment!"

Ashton hadn't actually thought that far ahead. Living with Luke in the vacation home has been a blast, but it's not like he's a citizen with identification and a birth certificate. How the hell is he supposed to blend in? He wants to bring Luke back, of course. He wants to spend all the time in the world with him, but he's a star in the form of a grown man.

Ashton doesn't want to think of Luke like that. Luke is human. Sure, he's from the stars, but he walks and talks just like the rest of them (excluding the limited usage of contractions). He looks like he could be a model, and his eyes, those damn eyes, could make other humans fall to their knees. Ashton knows for sure he would.

"Yeah," he says, not wanting to bring more attention the the subject. He sighs. "I'm... I'm really grateful for you guys. I don't think I've been this happy in my life."

His head rolls over and he finds Luke looking at him, smiling, and suddenly he wants to cry again. He's never seen such a beautiful smile. It's so genuine. Full of life. Full of joy, innocence, and sincerity.

It's so human.

"We're happy _for_ you, Ash," Michael says. Ashton feels his arm jab into his side, making him grunt in discomfort. He pulls out his phone. "I think we should take a picture of this moment. So you can be reminded of a time when you were happy."

Ashton totally doesn't think of Luke's words as Michael takes the picture. Michael holds the phone directly above them, trying to get all four of their heads in the picture. The way he holds it is awkward, but it gets the job done. The four of them have the widest grins on their faces, eyes crinkled at the sides and cheeks raised and dimples showing. Of course, Michael's arm is shown off to the side, but that doesn't matter. Not to Ashton. The picture is wonderful, and probably the most wholesome one Ashton has seen of himself since his childhood.

"Wow, what a beautiful picture," Michael says in awe, and Ashton is surprised when he doesn't sense an ounce of sarcasm in his friends voice. "I'm gonna have to print out twenty copies of it. Physical. Copies. I've never done that with any picture on my phone before."

Calum laughs from beside him. "Print out an extra twenty for me."

They all laugh this time.

When Ashton's meets Luke's eyes again, they're gleaming right into him, and the boy is smiling that incredible smile that makes Ashton's heart soar into faraway galaxies. Ashton smiles right back, but he knows for a fact that it will only ever be half as amazing as the boy from the stars'.

-

The rain continues to fall.

Even during their dinner, which Michael actually  _helps_ Calum make, rain and wind beat down on the windows, creating the sound of shattering glass and ominous howling. At one point Michael gets worried that the wind actually did break something.

"At least it's not a hurricane," Calum comments. "That would be an actual disaster."

"Well, yeah," Michael says, "hurricanes are considered natural disasters." Calum scowls at him, shoving another forkful of penne into his mouth.

"I like the rain," Luke says. "Ashton said it was like a giant shower."

"That's a good comparison, except it doesn't heat up. Rain is always cold and wet and gross and most of the times you'll get sick from it," Calum grumbles. Ashton chuckles because he remembers that Calum has gotten sick so many times from playing soccer in the rain, much to his mother's dismay. The abundance of colds never stopped him, though.

"And it'll probably hurt because of the wind and how hard it's pouring," Michael adds. "Trust me, pouring rain can feel like a million needles pricking into your skin." Calum winces, probably at painful memories of playing soccer in that kind of rain as well. "There's nothing quite like the rain, not even a shower."

It's a weird thing to discuss at length. Ashton's never put much thought into the weather, especially because the forecast always lies and he doesn't pay attention to it, but when he really thinks about it, Michael is right. There's nothing quite like weather on Earth.

It makes his head spin, but he figures that might be a good thing. On his couch, he didn't do much thinking. It was mainly slouching, moping, and not sleeping. Catatonia, Ashton thinks it's called. Yeah, that. He's surprised that he hasn't been able to put a name to it until now. Well, it only stands to reason, now that he's actually active and thinking and  _happy_ again.

"What's a hurricane?" Luke asks.

"Basically wind and pouring rain but a hundred times worse," Michael answers solemnly. "Depending on how bad the hurricane is, it can really cause some damage and even death. Like, it would shatter windows and cause power outages and floods and yeah."

"Oh." Luke frowns. "I apologize for asking."

"No, it's okay," Michael says quickly, the apology taking him by surprise. "I've never been in a hurricane myself. I'm just speaking for the people who  _have_ been in one. I'm sure it's a lot worse than how I explain it."

Luke nods. Ashton knows there are many more questions Luke could ask, such as how hurricanes form or what power outages are. It's kind of a depressing topic when Ashton thinks about it. He's glad that Luke has the piece of mind not to ask further.

Since it's raining, they stay inside for the night. Ashton's glad, since he really doesn't want to deal with more hangovers (even though they have copious amounts of alcohol at the house). But to his surprise, Michael and Calum don't drink. Instead, they laugh and play Uno and The Game of Life while Luke watches, and they eventually get bored, and that's when Michael breaks out Monopoly from the house's game closet.

"Oh absolutely not," Calum protests, holding a finger up. "We are  _not_ playing Monopoly."

Michael smirks. "Why not? Afraid you'll lose?"

"The game takes for-fucking-ever," Calum groans.

"Not if you play it well. I'm going to send you all to jail  _and_ take all your money." Michael starts opening the box and unfolding the board against Calum's groans of resistance.

"It doesn't even work that way. You don't just send people to jail," Ashton says. Michael shushes him loudly. "Seriously, Mikey, can't we play something else? Maybe something that'll actually make you rage? I'm in the mood to be entertained." Michael frowns.

"Michael rages at everything," Calum points out. Michael frowns at him initially, but then ends up nodding in agreement.

"You two should play Battleship," Ashton suggests. "Is it in the game closet?"

Calum chuckles and starts putting away the Monopoly board while Michael pouts. "Of course. We have pretty much every board game in existence at our disposal here."

Ashton retrieves it for them, eagerly wanting to watch Michael actually flip a table, even though they're playing it at the kitchen island which isn't exactly flippable. And he kind of does, he loses the first round and pounds his fists on the poor table and screams while Calum laughs and hollers in victory. They play for three more rounds, and their fifth one is a tie-breaker. Ashton glances between their grids. Michael is one away from having his last battleship sunk, and Calum is fast approaching.

"E5," Michael says.

Calum's face twists into a frown. "Hit." His eyes dart across all of the spaces where he's hit Michael. Michael is one away from sinking Calum's last, and Calum is one away from sinking Michael's. It could go a couple ways. They could be idiots and keep missing until eventually they figure out where to hit, or Calum sinks Michael's battleship in the next turn.

His brow furrows in thought. Luke watches curiously, also glancing at both of their grids. Calum bites his lip, eyes burning into Michael intensely before finally saying, "D6."

Michael raises his arm, and Ashton is quick to react before he can throw his grid off the table and at Calum's face. "Fuck this whole game and fuck you and fuck life!" Michael screams as he flails in Ashton's arms. Meanwhile, Calum bursts out into giggles and cheers.

"Jesus, Mike, calm down!" Ashton says. "Deep breaths. In and out. That's it." He breathes with Michael, even though it's completely unnecessary and Michael knows that, but he calms down and his face goes from one of outrage to slight annoyance.

Calum's already packing the grids back up in case Michael decides to rage again. "Hey, at least it was best three out of five. You did good, man." Once he gets the box all packed up, he holds out his hand. "Truce?"

Michael frowns as he looks down at it, but he shakes it. "Of course," he says, his frown doing a complete one-eighty. "Good game."

For a moment Ashton thinks Michael might be scheming, but he later finds them baking fucking cookies together, all smiling and laughing. He sighs happily from the hall as he watches his friends bake. Calum's got this checkered pink apron on that Michael won't stop teasing him for, but Calum actually teases himself too. Just so the both of them can tease each other, Michael grabs one with bright red frills and an embroidery of a cherry.

He just hopes they don't make too much of a mess.

Retreating back into his room, his eyes fall back on the mysterious box. He shakes it again, and there's still no sound. The lid jiggles as much as it did before, and still doesn't open. "What in the world could be in this box?" he murmurs to himself.

He spends the next half hour just examining the box, turning it on its sides and corners and shaking it even though he knows nothing will change. It's not going to open, and it's not going to make a sound, but Ashton's just so curious that he considers breaking it open for a moment, though he decides against it. Besides, something is telling him that even if he brought a hammer down onto it with all his might, it still wouldn't open.

In the end, he just sets the box back down on the nightstand. After all, the cookies are starting to smell really good. Unsurprisingly, when he heads back into the kitchen to have a taste, he finds Michael with a face full of flour.

It's going to be a long night, Ashton thinks to himself.

-

Ashton practically forces Michael and Calum to clean the mess up themselves, and they oblige. At around midnight, the rain slows to a drizzle and the wind dies down to a barely audible breeze. Ashton's not sure how many cookies Michael has had, but it's enough to make Michael groan and head upstairs early to enter a food coma.

"Hey, where's Luke?" Calum asks. "Haven't seen him since the Battleship game. He needs to try these cookies."

Ashton panics slightly, since he's been so caught up in Michael and Calum's baking and trying to open a box that's clearly not going to be opened anytime soon to notice that Luke has secluded himself in his room again. "I'll go check on him."

"Good." Calum takes one more cookie and walks in the direction of the stairs. "I'm gonna head up, probably just chill on my laptop for a little while. Just wrap up the cookies whenever you're done." Ashton nods and Calum salutes him before disappearing up the stairs.

He waits a little while after Calum goes up to head upstairs himself. He turns the doorknob to Luke's room, and he's relieved that it's not locked this time.

"Luke?" Ashton says quietly, inching the door open. "Luke, are you o—"

Ashton has told himself numerous times in the past that he really should start to expect anything when it comes to Luke, but he certainly doesn't expect to see Luke jerking off. "Oh."

Luke's hand comes to an abrupt stop. "Oh, Ashton. I... I apologize." He reaches for his pants, which are bunched up at the foot of his bed. He stands up and slips them back on, even though his dick hasn't gone down and Ashton can still see it poking through the fabric.

"N-no, it's fine! Just, um, cookies. Downstairs. If you want them," Ashton stammers, motioning downstairs.

"Cookies?"

"Yeah, they're really good," Ashton says. Luke blinks and doesn't say anything, a sign that he doesn't know what he's talking about. "Food."

Luke lets out an 'oh' and follows Ashton back down the stairs, and Ashton has to try really hard not to look back just to see if Luke's hard on is still visible. "Oh," Luke says as they approach the kitchen, "so that is what I smelled earlier. They do smell good."

Ashton smiles as he takes one and hands it to Luke. They're warm and soft and chewy, and one of the melted chocolate chips lands on Luke's bottom lip. He doesn't lick it off, even as he continues to finish the rest of the cookie. "Who made these?"

"Michael and Calum. They made a mess though," Ashton laughs. He pours Luke a glass of milk. "Here, try another one with the milk." He takes one for himself and dunks it in the glass. Luke follows suit, copying Ashton's actions. His face lights up instantly.

"The milk makes it even more delicious!" he says excitedly. Ashton wishes Luke could be like this more. Smiling, with expressions of happiness and joy rather than unreadable eyes and a stoic face. It happens, though not as often as Ashton would like, but for him that means that he needs to cherish any time it does.

Luke practically shoves the entire cookie into his mouth after that and drinks half the milk, leaving him with a little white mustache on his top lip. Ashton chuckles and points to it. "You got a little, y'know." The blond boy licks his top lip, erasing the milk, but there's still that little bit of chocolate on his bottom lip...

And when Ashton thinks about the fact that he'd just caught Luke jerking off earlier, he can't help himself. He lurches forward, catching Luke in a kiss, wasting no time in running his tongue along his bottom lip. The chocolate is sweet and the inside of his mouth is even sweeter, all milk and cookie heaven. He's surprised that he manages to pull away, though he's also managed to get half-hard in the process. "S-sorry."

Luke laughs and shakes his head. "Don't be." He stands up and grabs Ashton by the hand, confusing him, but then he's tugging him down the hall and  _oh, this is happening._

Ashton shuts his bedroom door behind him and Luke immediately pushes him up against it and kisses him again. Ashton has no clue when or how Luke got so brave, but he likes it, he likes it a lot, and the wet heat of Luke's sweet mouth is enough to make his head enter both a sugary, sex-filled rush. "Fuck, Luke."

"I'm sorry, Ashton," Luke whispers as Ashton swaps their places. He shoves the boy up against the door and runs his tongue along the boy's neck. "I couldn't help myself earlier."

"Oh yeah?" Ashton teases, ghosting a kiss over Luke's collarbone. "What were you thinking about?" He bites down on the skin gently, making Luke gasp and recoil even further against the door.

"W-what we did last night," Luke answers. "It felt so amazing, and when I thought about it, my—it got hard again, and—"

Ashton silences his rambling with a kiss, causing Luke to moan into his mouth. "I know," Ashton says. "It feels really good." He runs his hands down Luke's sides to his hips and grips them tightly, toying with the waistband of his sweatpants. "May I?"

"Please," Luke practically begs, and that's good enough for Ashton to yank his pants down, revealing his almost fully hard cock. He drops to his knees almost instantly.

Ashton presses a kiss to the head before licking it gently. Luke has one hand pressed up against the door and one in Ashton's hair, guiding him along his length as Ashton sinks his head further down onto it. "Fuck, Ashton." He chuckles lightly. "I-I remember when you first did this for me."

Ashton pops off. "Me too." He smiles fondly up at Luke, who's meeting his gaze right back.

Luke buries his fingers in Ashton's hair again as he resumes, wrapping his lips around the girth and running his tongue along the underside. He sucks lightly, hollowing his cheeks as he pushes himself further down onto Luke's cock. The blond boy sighs, biting his lip and letting his head roll to the side. "Ashton," he says. Ashton pulls off and looks at him expectantly. "Can you fuck me again?"

"Is that even a question?" Ashton stands up and pulls Luke by the arm, leading the boy to the bed.

"But," Luke continues as Ashton removes his shirt, "can you do it a bit... harder?"

Ashton's in the middle of unbuttoning his jeans when Luke asks that, and it makes his dick twitch while it's still clothed by the tight fabric. Still, he pauses. "Are you sure?"

Luke nods. "I really enjoyed it last night, and I liked it a lot when you did it harder towards the end. So, will you?"

Ashton seriously doesn't even know how he's still breathing. He finally slips the rest of his pants and his underwear off. His cock is achingly hard just from Luke  _asking_ him to fuck him roughly. "Yeah. Yeah, I will."

Luke sighs contently, letting his head rest back against the pillows as Ashton runs his long fingers along his skin. It sends shivers up the boy's spine and makes his entire body tingle with currents of electric pleasure. Ashton lets his fingers glide along the skin of Luke's inner thigh, making his leg and dick twitch. He chuckles to himself in amusement. "I-I like it when you touch me like this," Luke admits.

"I've noticed," Ashton says with a smirk. He reaches over for the lube in the nightstand drawer. "I think... if you don't mind, can you get on your hands and knees?"

Luke complies, hesitantly rolling over. He props himself up on his forearms and almost instinctively arches his back. "Like this?"

"Shit, yeah," Ashton breathes. "It gets really deep in that position."

He sees Luke nod in understanding, and he pops the cap of the lube open and squeezes it right onto Luke's hole. The cold sensation causes Luke's thighs to quiver, and his back arches even  _more,_ fully exposing his hole. "Jesus," Ashton says as he runs two fingers along Luke's entrance. He circles the pad of his index finger along the rim before pushing in slowly. Luke whimpers and pushes back against the digit, practically swallowing the whole thing. "So desperate," Ashton chuckles.

"It feels good," Luke says through a whimper. "Add another."

"Patience," Ashton says, pumping the one finger in and out of him. "If I'm gonna fuck you hard, you need to be prepped well."

Luke whines, making Ashton push his finger deeper into him. Ashton makes sure to take his time despite the boy's desperate whimpers and the fact that he's practically bouncing up and down on his fingers. When Ashton finally adds another, Luke squeals and moans, a weirdly hot combination. He scissors his fingers inside him, making sure he feels the stretch himself before adding a third.

"Ashton, please, please fuck me," Luke pleads. "I'm ready, please."

Ashton scoffs playfully and retracts the three fingers all at once. "Someone's real eager to get fucked." He squeezes some more lube onto his hand and strokes himself until his cock is slick before pressing the tip of his cock onto Luke's hold. "Ready?"

"Yes, Ashton, please," Luke says. Like he did on Ashton's fingers, he pushes down as Ashton pushes in. Both boys moan at the feeling, Luke being filled and Ashton having his cock enveloped in a tight heat. "Oh, f-fuck, Ashton."

Ashton thrusts gently, feeling Luke adjust to him. "Gonna fuck you so hard, just like you asked," he says.

"Yes, p-please fuck me," Luke whines, continuing to push down onto him.

Ashton gradually picks up his pace, not wanting to overwhelm Luke. He starts with gentle rocks of his hips, but Luke only continues to push against his force, begging for more, and when Ashton finally snaps his hips up, Luke cries out, "Yes, like that, Ashton!"

"Fuck, Luke." Ashton grabs Luke by the hips and repeats the same motion, his hips slapping against Luke's ass. The sound almost echoes in the room, and he can only hope his two friends are sleeping peacefully upstairs. "You're so desperate today."

Luke doesn't say anything, he just whimpers again as Ashton thrusts into him, now at a steady pace. Ashton's hands roam everywhere along Luke's hips and ass and back before settling down on the small of his back, pressing down on it lightly. At this point Luke's ass is up as high as it can go, and Ashton actually has to thrust downward.

"I-It's so deep," Luke chokes out. "F-fuck." His hands are right next to his head, gripping the pillows tightly.

"You like it nice and deep, don't you?" Ashton asks, his hand sliding along Luke's spine before resting on his shoulder.

"Y-Yes," Luke says. "Harder, please."

Ashton leans down and thrusts into him, deep and hard, just like he asked. He bites down on Luke's ear and wraps one hand around Luke's neck, squeezing the sides gently. Luke gasps at the new feeling. "Like this?" He thrusts again and again, making sure Luke feels it deep inside.

" _Fuck,_ yes," Luke moans weakly. "You're so deep, Ashton. Gonna m-make me come."

"Yeah? You gonna come just from me fucking you?" Ashton asks, pushing Luke back down onto the mattress and lifting his ass back up in the air. He forces his hips forward, fucking into Luke even harder than before.

"Yes," Luke gasps, and one particular thrust has him crying out, "Right there!"

So Ashton repeats his motions,  _right there,_ and Luke is coming, hot and white all over Ashton's sheets. Though he can't see it for himself, he can tell by the way Luke seems to moan and cry at the same time, high-pitched while struggling to catch a breath. Ashton knows. As Luke comes, he feels the boy tighten around him.

"Fuck, Luke, so tight around me, you're gonna make me come too." His thrusts have started to slow, sloppily moving in and out of the boy as he nears his release.

"Come inside me again, feels so good," Luke says, and that alone makes Ashton climax, shooting his load into Luke. The blond boy moans loudly as Ashton fills him up once again. Ashton pulls out slowly and watches his cum leak out of Luke's hole and down his thighs.

Luke's knees give out, and he collapses onto the bed. "Oh... oh my."

Both of them are breathing hard, covered in sweat and come, and once Ashton finally manages to catch his breath, he presses a kiss to Luke's back. "That was... so good."

"Y-Yeah," Luke manages. He rolls over onto his back. "We made a mess, though."

Ashton chuckles and gets up to retrieve a wet cloth to wipe the rest of his come from Luke's thighs. Luckily only the blanket is stained with Luke's come, so he simply bunches it up and tosses it aside and gets a new one from the closet. He changes into his pajamas and settles into the bed next to Luke.

He finds himself wrapping an arm around Luke's torso and leaning into his shoulder. Luke rests his arm around Ashton's shoulder, holding him against him tightly, like he doesn't want to let go, and Ashton doesn't want him to let go either. Luke is staring up at the ceiling when Ashton's eyes land on the box on his nightstand again, and he's reminded of something.

"Luke," Ashton says, "how do you know so much about things I've never told you?"

"Like what?"

"You knew my last name." Ashton didn't want to question it before, but now he's curious. Actually, he's more than curious. He's downright confused and bewildered as to how Luke would know such information. "And you knew about my dad. How?"

He glances up at Luke, but the blue eyes stay fixed on the ceiling. He's biting his lip, something Ashton hasn't seen him do before. "I think it has something to do with why I exist."

Ashton props himself up on his elbow and rests his head on his hand. "What do you mean?"

"I did not know that information about you when I first landed on Earth," Luke says. "It is as if I figured it out over time."

"Figured it out?" Ashton questions, his brows knitting together in even more confusion. "That still doesn't make any sense. I never once told you my last name and there's no way you could've 'figured out' that my dad... left."

"I know, Ashton," Luke says flatly. "I do not know how to word it."

Ashton frowns and sits up. "I really doubt that, Luke."

Luke doesn't move. "It is why I think it has to do with why I am here on this planet. It is as if... I saw your life with my own eyes."

"What?" Ashton settles back down, still confused, but more intrigued.

"It is so hard to explain," Luke admits. His expression changes. Though usually he looks to be in deep thought, this time, he looks more pained. "When I first came down, I knew nothing about you. But... as soon as I entered your life, I just  _knew_ things."

Ashton can feel his heart beginning to pick up. "Like what?" His voice barely manages a whisper.

"I knew more about you than I knew about myself," Luke answers, and Ashton feels like his entire body is being weighed down. "I knew your last name, I knew about your father, your family... I knew  _you,_ Ashton." He finally looks at him, his blue eyes shining with something that isn't happiness but isn't sadness either. "I have come to the conclusion that the reason I am here is for  _you,_ Ashton."

"No," Ashton says instantly. "No, Luke. I told you last night, that's not—"

"Ashton." Luke cuts him off, his face turning stern. "I know what you said to me last night. This 'task' that I am meant to fulfill, I still believe that I am here to fulfill it. I still do not know what that task is, but it is undeniably tied to you."

"That's not... oh my god, Luke." Ashton groans, and he can already feel his eyes swelling with tears. "You are not on this planet just to fulfill some bullshit task for  _me._ That's just not possible."

"Why?" Luke asks. "Why is it not possible?"

"God, Luke, you're fucking  _human!"_ Ashton has to remind himself to keep his voice down, but his eyes are watering and his composure is crumbling. "Humans don't exist for the sole purpose of fulfilling tasks, whether it be for another person or not."

"I am not human, Ashton."

Ashton's heart breaks.

"Luke," Ashton says. He grabs Luke's hand and holds it to his chest. "Do you feel this? My heart?" Luke nods, eyes watching all of Ashton's movements. Ashton moves his hand under his nose. "Do you feel this? My breath?" Luke nods again.

He releases Luke's hand and presses his own hand against Luke's chest. He closes his eyes. There's a beat. "Luke, I feel it. I feel your heartbeat." Before Luke says anything, Ashton moves his hand to Luke's nose. "I feel your breath." Down to his cheek. He cups it. "You're warm. You have a face, eyes, nose, lips, ears,  _everything._ I have all of those things. You breathe, have a beating heart, you talk like us, you walk like us, and you  _feel_ like us. You are human, Luke."

Ashton's eyes open. He's always said that Luke's eyes look like they glow a lot, but this time, they actually do.

It's blue, just as it normally is. It's faint, but Ashton knows that eyes don't glow like that. They don't project light. Luke's eyes are literally _glowing,_ a blue light illuminating the room, casting onto Ashton's face. "Luke," Ashton breathes. "Why?"

"I am not human," Luke repeats.

" _No!"_ Ashton shouts, and he doesn't even register when throws his arms around Luke and holds onto him for fucking dear life. "You're fucking human, Luke! You're just like us! You're meant for so much more than a stupid task. You  _belong_ here, just like the rest of us!"

Luke's arms are locked at his side. Ashton squeezes his eyes shut, not wanting to see the light emanating from Luke's eyes. "You're human," he says again, smaller. "You belong here." Hot tears spill onto the pillow case. He can't help it.

"So do you, Ashton," Luke says finally, and he wraps his arms around Ashton, encasing him in an embrace that makes Ashton feel like he's floating.

It's as if he's back up in the parasail, watching Luke and his childlike wonder, his curious eyes falling upon everything around him, smile wide and brave. He's back in the Ferris wheel, surrounded by colorful luminous lights and fried food and good, painful memories.

Bittersweet. That's the word.

Not once has Ashton felt like he's belonged somewhere. Not at home, not at school, and certainly not at his shabby apartment. He wants to think he belongs wherever Luke is, wherever Luke goes. Just with Luke. But there's a nagging feeling in his head, something that's telling him that that isn't true.

He believes Luke. He wholeheartedly believes and trusts Luke. His heart and brain are at war, with one telling him that yes, he belongs with Luke, and the other telling him that he just  _belongs,_ wherever that may be. Not necessarily with Luke. Just belonging.

"I want to belong," Ashton says.

"You do," Luke tells him. His arms tighten. "You belong here, Ashton."

Ashton doesn't know where 'here' is, but something is telling him that Luke doesn't mean in his arms.

"Your life is beautiful. Mine is too. Life itself is so beautiful. There is so much to see and hear and feel on this planet, in this world. To be alive is to belong, Ashton. As long as you are alive, you belong. It does not matter where. On a planet with so much life, why would one  _not_ belong?"

Luke's words echo in a place that isn't Ashton's ears. They reverberate in his bones, play on his skin, tick at his heart, and dance on his lungs. Everywhere. He feels them everywhere. He wiggles his toes, not knowing if it's intentional or not, but not really caring if it isn't. He breathes. His heart pumps. His skin feels.

He's reminded that he is alive.

When Ashton opens his eyes, the blue glow is gone. He raises himself up and finally looks back at Luke. His eyes aren't glowing, but his tears are. All sorts of shimmering colors fall from his eyes in a brilliant waterfall of nothing but pure beauty.

Luke is human, and he is also a star.

Ashton runs his thumb along Luke's cheek. The luster of his tears sparkle on his hand. "No matter what happens, Luke, you will always be human to me."

Luke sniffles. He's crying, and this time, it shows. His voice cracks. His body shakes. "Thank you, Ashton."

Ashton holds him close again. Their chests are pressed against each other, beating heart to beating heart. In this instance, time reverses, sending Ashton's black hole of a heart back to a time where there was a supernova, and this time, it doesn't collapse. It bursts brilliantly and sends out lustrous waves of new life. New stars.

And Ashton has one, right in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> s/o to those who caught the 'outer space' reference ;))


	10. universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Now you were standing there right in front of me_   
>  _I hold on, it's getting harder to breathe_   
>  _All of a sudden these lights are blinding me_   
>  _I never noticed how bright they would be_
> 
> _I promised one day that I'd bring you back a star_   
>  _I caught one and it burned a hole in my hand_   
>  _Seems like these days I watch you from afar_   
>  _Just trying to make you understand_
> 
> _I'll keep my eyes wide open._
> 
> A star will always be a star. Even when it dies, new ones are born. Ashton learns this the hard way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAA THE FINAL CHAPTER  
> comment if u cry because i certainly will writing this.  
> also, if you REALLY wanna cry, i suggest listening to "don't let me go" by harry styles or "outer space" by 5sos. i totally didn't mean for "don't let me go" to fit so perfectly for this fic, but hey, it works!  
> it's a long chapter, but I still hope you enjoy the read :)

Things get easier in the household. The vacation goes on. So does Michael and Calum's bickering.

Ashton is just glad it's nothing more than scuffling. If it were actual fist fighting, he'd probably have to stage an intervention of sorts. Of course, having to stop his friends from slapping each other can get tiring, but a lot of the time it's entertaining. It's something Ashton finds amusement in. He thinks that maybe Michael and Calum have picked up on it, and that's why they do it so much. Because it entertains him.

There's one night where Michael and Calum convince him and Luke to go to a bar with them. Sadly, there are no poles for Calum to dance on, but Ashton sees him dancing on Michael instead, and when Luke sees it too, he asks, "Are they secretly having sex?"

Ashton has to laugh. The alcohol in his bloodstream is making it ten times funnier. From the looks of it, it's not serious dancing, but it could be a possibility. "If they are, they're not telling me," Ashton giggles back.

That night, Ashton gets drunk. Like, actually drunk. He'd avoided it before because he didn't want to deal with a hangover himself, but he figures that tonight, he's with Luke, and the two of them can get drunk together. And they do. He buys Luke drinks, since Luke doesn't have an ID. He doesn't down a bunch of shots; instead, he sips rum and coke, tequila, and maybe some other drinks that he doesn't really know the names of because he isn't paying attention. He gradually gets drunk and lets the pulsing music become more intense over time. It's quite the experience.

There's nothing much like seeing Luke the deep red lights. Any light makes Luke beautiful. When they dance together in an alcohol-induced haze, all Ashton can do is look into Luke's eyes. Their bodies press together, sweaty and sticky, something that they're very much used to at this point. But the eardrum-blasting music booming in their ears and the swaying of their hips somehow makes it even more intimate, something that Ashton would never have thought of. Luke's movements are awkward at first, since he's never danced before, but Ashton tells him to just feel it, and it's as if Luke just  _gets it._ His hands grip onto Ashton's waist, Ashton's fists balled up in the collar of Luke's shirt, and they dance the night away. They kiss with their sweaty foreheads knocking together. Random bodies collide with theirs, but they don't separate for a second.

Needless to say, when they get home, all of the sexual tension built up at the club is released. Luke rides Ashton this time, saying he's wanted to try it ever since Ashton did it to him. He ends up liking it, of course, but not as much as he likes being on all fours.It's actually a good thing that Luke rides him, Ashton thinks, because he's way too drunk to be able to fuck Luke properly. He still manages to finish, because it's  _Luke,_ how could he not come from sex with Luke?

When he wakes up the next morning, Luke is gone. His head is pounding, but there's a glass of water and an aspirin on the nightstand with a note that says, 'I remember you mentioning water and aspirin to Michael once when he had a hangover. You were really drunk last night from what I could gather, so I decided to look around the house for some. I found it a bottle in Michael's room. He was sleeping, so it was easy to get. I figured you would have a hangover when you woke up, so here you go. -Luke'.

He takes the aspirin and downs the glass of water. It's like all his resolve comes back at that one moment, and despite the ache in his head and the rest of his body, he gets up to find Luke. He's sitting out on the terrace, looking out at the ocean. The sun is already high in the sky, and Ashton can tell it's going to be a beautiful day.

Not that it matters. Every day is beautiful with Luke.

-

One day, Ashton teaches Luke how to swim.

He's accompanied by Michael and Calum just in case something goes horribly wrong, but he seriously doubts it. Luke has been an incredibly quick learner so far, so he is sure this won't be an exception. It's just that teaching a six-four, one-hundred-something pound grown man how to swim is a bit difficult, especially in the ocean. Out of all the things the house has, a pool isn't one of them, and the closest pool is the one at the resort (that for some reason is public and not reserved for guests), but a grown man teaching another grown man how to swim would look extremely strange. So, the ocean is their only viable option.

They pick a relatively calm day, when the sun is shining and the tide is low. There's no one else on the beach. Michael and Calum stand on the shore, letting the ocean wash the sand out from under their feet as they watch Ashton lecture Luke on how to swim.

"Shouldn't we give him floaties or something? Y'know, in case he actually sinks like a brick?" Michael asks half-jokingly.

Ashton frowns and is a bit disappointed when Calum doesn't smack him in the head. Actually, his Maori friend looks to be in agreement. "Can't you guys have a little more faith in Luke?"

"What are floaties?" Luke asks.

Calum snickers. "See? We should definitely give him some."

Ashton rolls his eyes and continues lecturing Luke. "Anyway, swimming is just something that comes naturally. We'll start with treading water, and if you feel yourself sinking, I'll be right there with you."

To start, Ashton takes Luke out to a spot where both of their feet can barely feel the bottom. The water threatens to engulf Luke's chin. "Now," Ashton says, "lift your feet off the bottom and kick them while holding your arms out." He follows his own instructions, picking up his feet from the sand below and kicking them back and forth while spreading his arms out. "If you need to, you can circle your arms a bit as well."

Nodding as much as he can, Luke mimics Ashton's movements. Though he struggles a bit at first, he manages to keep his head above water, despite it almost reaching his eyes. At one point it almost floods his nose, and Ashton holds him up until he's kicking steadily again.

"This is tiring," Luke comments.

"Yeah, it is," Ashton agrees. "How do you feel?"

"I think I understand what to do now," Luke says.

Before Ashton can say anything, Luke is diving his head underwater, and he panics a bit because he hasn't even properly explained how and when to hold his breath, but then he sees Luke doing a full-on breaststroke away from him. When he comes up for air, he treads the water again effortlessly. "What the fuck?" Ashton murmurs to himself.

"Did I do that right?" Luke calls from several feet away. He's swum several feet away from Ashton and it hasn't even been fifteen minutes since they started treading water together.

"Y-Yeah!" Ashton shouts back. He swims over to Luke, who seems to be grasping the whole concept of swimming in less than fifteen minutes. It took Ashton  _weeks_ to learn how to swim properly, and Luke somehow managed to do a solid breaststroke and tread water flawlessly. Now, his whole head is above water. "You definitely did that right."

Luke smiles, beads of water spread out all across his face. There are several on his lips that Ashton just wants to kiss away, but he remembers that his two friends are watching them. He refrains for the time being, though everything in his body is screaming to just  _kiss Luke,_ but he has to have  _some_ dignity.

"Thank you, Ashton," Luke says, still smiling.

Needless to say, Luke learns all the strokes Ashton shows him within a matter of minutes. At this rate, Ashton's sure that Luke could swim an entire ocean if he tried. He swims alongside Luke for the majority of the time, but there are some moments where he likes to just watch Luke, how the boy seems to glide through the water like he's known it for his entire life. He wonders if space is like that, and maybe that's how Luke learned how to swim so quickly.

Or it's just Luke. Luke is an insanely quick learner, Ashton realizes. He's pretty sure Luke could do everything and more, and it makes him sad that he can't show Luke how to do everything, because he  _can't_ do everything.

It upsets him, definitely, but it doesn't matter. Luke can make it on his own.

_Luke can make it on his own._

When they return to shore, Michael and Calum pat Luke on the back, praising him but mostly shouting things along the lines of, 'how the fuck did you do that so quickly?' and 'that was amazing, dude!' Ashton smiles from the sidelines, and the four of them make their way back to the house.

That night, while Calum is making dinner, Michael is browsing the travel magazine. "Hey, didn't you mention snorkeling at one point?"

Calum doesn't look up from his cooking. "It was a long time ago, when you were hungover and said we could do anything we wanted except for fun shit," he says. "We've been putting it off since then."

"Well, now that Luke knows how to swim, I say we do it. And I promise I won't get drunk the night before," Michael says, grinning up at his friends.

And who are they to say no to adventure?

They go snorkeling the next week (and Michael doesn't get drunk the night before). The boat isn't anything extravagant, but it has refreshments and a complimentary lunch. After an instructional introduction, they're sent on their way. They split off into pairs as they normally do. The fish are actually active on this particular day. Though they're pretty much all the same kind, it's still a beautiful sight to witness. Schools of fish zip past them, some surprisingly close. Luke reaches out to try to grab one, and Ashton laughs through his mask.

Along the way, they all encounter one another underwater. Calum, with his waterproof camera, snaps a photo of all of them wearing their ridiculous masks, and Michael, of course, throws two thumbs up. He takes more pictures of them surrounded by fish and other marine life. Ashton tries to sneak in all of them.

He comes up for air, Michael and Calum following shortly after, and he removes his mask for a breather. He blinks a couple times to remove the discomfort from the mask imprint on his face, and that's when he realizes that the familiar presence is gone. He whirls around, but Luke is nowhere to be seen.

"Luke?" Ashton calls out. He could've sworn Luke was right behind him.

"Maybe he's still underwater," Michael says, his mask now off as well.

Ashton groans and slips his mask back on, diving back down. Luke is indeed still underwater, but to his surprise, he's dived deeper than everyone else, almost to the fucking floor. It's deeper than any pool Ashton's ever been in, and he knows that there's no way he could swim that deep without his head wanting to collapse in on itself. He waves his arms as much as he can while underwater and manages a 'mmmph!' sound, not knowing if Luke can hear him.

The blond boy glances up, and, seeming to catch on, rises back up and follows Ashton back to the water's surface, where Michael and Calum are still waiting.

"What the hell were you doing down there?" Ashton gasps once his mask is off again.

Luke removes his mask, his brows furrowed in confusion. "I wanted to see what was down there."

"What happened?" Michael asks.

"Luke was at the fucking floor," Ashton says, still in shock. "Luke, how did you manage to swim that deep?"

He can see Luke shrug through the water. "Can you not swim that deep?"

Ashton glances between Michael and Calum, and all they can do is gawk at Luke. "No," Michael answers. "It's dangerous. Did you not feel the water pressure?"

"Water pressure?" Luke questions. "I did not feel anything while I was down there. Was I supposed to?"

"Yeah, something like your skull being crushed," Michael deadpans.

Luke shrugs again. "I did not feel anything of the sort."

With mouths still sightly agape in awe, they swim back to the boat in silence. They don't question Luke further, because they know it's practically useless if they do, and eventually they all move on to their next endeavor, which is a sunset party on a different boat. There are fruity cocktails involved, this time made by an actual mixologist and not Michael (despite how hard he tries to be one). There's music playing and people dancing as the sun paints tropical colors across the sky. With the soft hum of the boat's engine and the delicate, island paradise-y music filling Ashton's ears, he can't feel more at peace.

Not to mention Luke is right beside him. They get to watch the sun disappear and the moon rise in its place. Luke watches intently, and Ashton swears he doesn't take his eyes off the sky. He doesn't mind it though, and he doesn't interrupt Luke while the boy is admiring the very place he came from.

He's too busy admiring Luke, anyway.

-

Calum eventually breaks and begs to go to the zoo, even though his begging is completely unnecessary since it was him all along who was preventing them from going to the zoo in the first place.

It's a small zoo, with the most exotic animal being a tiger, but Calum doesn't seem to mind. He runs along the paths excitedly, barely even stopping to actually  _look_ at the animals. It confuses the hell out of Ashton, but all he does is tag along and follow closely behind like he normally does. After running a full circle around the zoo, Calum actually takes his time the second time around, stopping to observe the animals and read the blurbs on each exhibit's plaque. He takes a ton of pictures, as do the rest of them. Luke is particularly fond of the peacocks because of how colorful and extravagant they are, and he falls in love with the macaws.

Within the zoo there's a butterfly observatory, a big enclosed space that mimics a forest and holds all different breeds of the beautiful flying insect. As soon as the door opens, Ashton catches a hot whiff of humid air that blasts him in the face. Considering it's already hot and humid in Florida, he's kind of used to it, but it's even more intense in the butterfly habitat. Still, he can't complain, especially when he's surrounded by exquisite, colorful trees and other plant life that he's never seen in his life, and, of course, the butterflies.

The first one that catches his eyes is a big blue one, about four inches in diameter. The outlines of its wings are black, with tiny white dots speckled into the black. This butterfly with the blue gradient is something Ashton's only ever seen in picture books and movies. Never once in his life did he think he would actually get to see one.

"Do you think one will land on my finger?" Calum asks excitedly, bouncing up and down on his toes.

"Probably," Michael tells him, pointing at another patron. "See?"

He's pointing at a mother guiding a black and yellow butterfly onto her daughter's finger. The insect spreads its wings. The girl's face lights up as she watches the butterfly's wings unfurl. Ashton hears Calum squeal from beside him.

"I want one of the big blue ones!" Calum shouts.

"I'm pretty sure everyone wants one of those," Ashton comments. It stands to reason why. It's one of the most vibrantly-colored butterflies he's ever seen. Big, blue, and beautiful.

Much like Luke's eyes, Ashton thinks.

He turns to the blond-haired boy and asks, "What do you think, Luke?"

Luke's eyes are gazing around the space curiously as they take steps forward. "This is a very lovely place. What are these creatures called again?"

"Butterflies," Ashton answers.

Luke nods. "Butterflies."

There's a stone pathway that wraps around the enclosed space with a couple of side paths. Everywhere they go, they see butterflies, on the path, in the trees, or just fluttering around in the air. They come in every color, but Ashton's fixed on the vibrant blue ones. There are several flying around and laying low beneath the shade of the trees, but Ashton is determined to get one to land on him, or Calum, even.

It's like the blue butterflies know they're sought after. Any time Ashton reaches out with his finger to one, they fly away, as do the other butterflies surrounding them. Calum laughs at him, even though he hasn't gotten a single butterfly to land on him yet.

Michael is the first one who manages to get one onto his finger. It's not the blue one, but it's still pretty, with black curved wings and bright red spots on them. Calum and Ashton snap a few pictures on their phones of Michael holding the butterfly up to his face. He tries to get the butterfly to climb onto his nose, but it flies away as soon as it feels his breath. He pouts as he watches it take to the air and into the darkness below a tree.

Calum gets a small one onto his finger. It's pure white, almost transparent, with dark spots along the outer part of its wings. He grins widely as his friends take pictures of him holding the creature in the palms of his hands. He holds onto it for as long as he can before it eventually takes off. He watches it with a smile as it disappears somewhere in the observatory.

Ashton still hasn't managed to snag one yet, and he's about to give up when he hears, "Ashton?"

"Yeah, Luke?" He turns around to see Luke glancing down at his hands, where a brilliant blue butterfly is slowly flapping its wings. "Holy shit."

Luke turns to him and smiles. "This is the one you wanted, right? I could see you watching them."

The three of them hurry over to him as quietly as they can, not wanting to disturb the insect. Ashton immediately whips out his phone and he finds himself smiling as he takes a picture of a brilliant boy holding a brilliant creature whose color matches his eyes. Luke is smiling down at the butterfly as Ashton takes the pictures, and all Ashton can do is stare.

"Would you like to hold it?" Luke asks, holding up his hands as if to offer the butterfly to Ashton.

"Um, yeah. Just be careful, it might fly away if—"

He trails off as he notices Luke's hands rising up higher, and he's in complete awe when Luke delicately places the butterfly onto Ashton's nose. He tilts his head up instinctively and holds his breath, not wanting it to scare the butterfly away. "Oh my god," Calum breathes. "That's freaking amazing." He and Michael take pictures of their friend with a huge blue butterfly on his nose, with a slight pained expression from not breathing but still grinning like a fool. Ashton holds his phone out to them, not caring which one takes it from him, and silently begs them to take a picture.

As soon as they're finished taking pictures, the butterfly flutters away and out of sight. It's almost as if it knew they were done.

"Luke, how did you manage to get one of those?" Ashton asks breathlessly.

Luke shrugs. "It came flying to me, so I held my hands out and it landed right in them."

And, like usual, the three of them exchanged awed glances before remembering that they really have to stop being surprised by this kind of thing. Still, though not surprised, Ashton is certainly captivated, and he thinks that if he were that butterfly, he'd fly right into the palm of Luke's hand any day.

God knows he already has.

-

They go ziplining a few weeks later.

It's right above a river, from one end of a cliff to another. It's absolutely terrifying, more terrifying than the parasailing and the rollercoaster combined. At least with the parasailing there was a parachute keeping them airborne and life vests in case they did end up in the water. The rollercoaster obviously had numerous safety precautions because, well, it's a rollercoaster. Ashton's not so sure about this ziplining thing, because he's literally dangling over a very active river while zooming over it on some thick wires.

He knows it's safe, probably, since they can't have a business for risky activities without going through all sorts of safety checks. Still, it doesn't stop his heart from racing in his chest from nerves.

Michael goes first, and Ashton can hear his screaming all the way through. His screams reverberate all throughout the wide open space, bouncing off the cliffs and trees surrounding them. Ashton can't even bring himself to laugh. As soon as Michael lands, everyone lets out a cheer, including Michael, which is louder than any of his screams.

Calum takes his turn. Though his screaming isn't as loud as Michael's, it's definitely more high-pitched, being let out in short, quick screeches. He makes it across safely as well, joining Michael at the other side, and Ashton can hear them cheering, encouraging him to go next.

Wanting to get it over with, he goes next. He shoots Luke one more fearful glance before taking off. Luke smiles reassuringly, which is enough to put his heart at peace for about five seconds before his feet are off the ground and his body is at the mercy of a harness and (hopefully) sturdy wires.

He can't even keep his eyes open for the majority of the journey, though he can feel the wind beating his face, throwing his hair in all sorts of directions. His legs are hovering over nothing, sending his body into a panic. He's pretty sure he's screaming just like Michael, though his brain is practically shut down from all the anxiety. When he finally brings himself to open his eyes, he's nearing Michael and Calum at the other side, and in the next moment, his feet are back on flat land. He's breathing hard, still trying to grasp the fact that he's on the ground again because his legs still feel like jelly. He's able to stand with the help of his friends, luckily.

"Alright Luke, it's your turn!" Michael yells.

Though Luke looks pretty much like a dot in Ashton's vision, he can see the blond boy moving, being fastened into the harness and preparing for takeoff. He watches nervously as the boy's feet go from land to air. Luke lets out a rambunctious cheer rather than a terrified scream, and all Ashton can think is _he really belongs in the air._ Before Luke can reach the ground again, he takes out his phone from his securely-fastened pocket and takes a picture. Luke's face is only just visible, mouth wide open in a boisterous smile.

The moment is over almost as quickly as it began, and Luke lands back on the ground with a soft thud on the grass. The three of them are there to steady him, which he ends up not needing. They all have victorious smiles glued to their faces once they realize that they've all lived. With one last cheer, their ziplining adventure is complete.

Ashton treats everyone to dinner that night. It's at the same place they went to almost three months ago, the one with the fancy expensive food and lanterns lining the outside seating area. As they order, Luke gazes at the lanterns just as longingly as he did before. They still get the discount, which Ashton is so grateful for because otherwise, he would've spent an upwards of two hundred dollars. In between bites and conversation, Ashton catches Luke eyeing the lanterns, a hint of  _something_ in his eyes. He doesn't know what it is, nor does he have the mental capacity at the moment to begin to distinguish what it might be.

That night, Luke asks Ashton if he could fuck him this time, and Ashton gladly obliges.

-

Their public beach day is less than ideal, despite Michael wanting to go to it so badly. It's kind of funny, Ashton thinks. He remembers that several months ago, Michael had requested to go to the resort's beach to meet hot people, but it never happened. He has no clue how or why Michael decided to remember, but as soon as he does, he's clambering down the stairs and begging Calum to go. They all just look at each other and shrug, since none of them have a problem with it.

However, it doesn't exactly go as smoothly as Michael planned. When they get there, it's crowded with people of all ages and body types, and as soon as they step foot in the sand of the resort's beach, Michael lets out a long sigh and says, "Nope."

He turns around on his heels, and the rest of them follow suit. None of them say anything. They're all silently in agreement, anyway.

They do visit the resort's bar because of their to-die-for cocktails. Luke, not knowing what to get, looks to Ashton for assistance, but it's Michael who answers for him. "Sex on the Beach," he tells the bartender. He nods and starts on Luke's drink.

"Sex on the Beach?" Luke questions. "Is that really the name of a drink?"

Michael snickers and nods. "Yup. Nice and sweet and fruity, unlike actual sex on the beach," he jokes, earning a laugh from Calum.

"Don't know why anyone would want to have sex on a beach," he says. "Sand gets into places that sand shouldn't go." Luke winces.

After a debate that lasts two seconds, they all decide to go back to their own private beach, which is barren, as usual. This time around, Michael makes sure to put on extra sunscreen and lays his towel out under all of the shade the umbrella offers. Calum brings an extra one for himself, along with a small stereo. Gentle country tunes play from the speakers, even though Michael's already got his headphones on and is listening to some obnoxiously loud punk rock. Somehow he falls asleep, the heavily distorted guitars still blaring from his headphones. Though both of them have their sunglasses on, Ashton can tell they're asleep by the tiny snores that escape their lips with each breath.

Ashton chuckles to himself. The day is a bit dreary. Cloudy, but still warm enough to be outside without a shirt. The cool breeze from the ocean makes it even chillier, though, and Ashton finds himself shivering at one point.

"Ashton," Luke speaks up. He's sitting cross-legged on his towel, gazing out at the sea.

"Yeah, Luke?"

Luke stays silent but bites as lip as if he wants to say something, but he ends up standing, grabbing Ashton by the wrist, and pulling him in the direction of the cliff the house is built upon that actually acts as a divide between the sandy and rocky parts of the beach. It juts out into the water with only a small strip of sand separating the sandy end and the rockier end. Ashton's never paid any attention to the rocky side, since he's definitely not interested in walking across a bunch of slippery stones that would probably crack his skull open if he were to trip and fall.

Still, Luke takes him by the hand over to the little strip of sand below the cliff. "Luke, what are you doing?"

Luke doesn't say anything. Instead, he presses Ashton up against the cliff's rocky wall and kisses him hard. Ashton, in shock from the suddenness of the kiss and the abrupt knocking of his back against the rocky surface, takes a few seconds to process what's happening before he starts moving his lips against Luke's. Luke's hands immediately find Ashton's waist, and Ashton wraps his arms around the back of Luke's neck.

"Luke," Ashton attempts, only to have the boy start kissing down his neck. "What are you—" He's cut off when he notices Luke going lower and lower, kissing down his chest until he eventually reaches the band of his swim trunks. "Luke, we can't do this here!"

"Yes, we can. Michael and Calum are asleep," Luke says, fingers toying with the elastic. "Unless you don't want to. I will stop if you don't want to."

And the truth is, Ashton doesn't want to stop. His teeth dig into his bottom lip as he nods silently, and Luke gets to work, pressing kisses to Ashton's hips as he palms at the growing bulge in his trunks. Ashton leans back against the rock, eyes slipping closed as he tangles his fingers in Luke's hair. When Luke finally pulls down his shorts, he's blasted with the chill of the breeze on his dick, only to be enveloped in a wet warmth almost immediately after. His eyes widen as he looks down to find his cock completely engulfed by Luke's mouth.

"Shit, Luke, what is with you today?" Ashton asks.

Luke doesn't respond. He looks up at Ashton, his eyes big and glossy as he bobs his head up and down Ashton's cock, fingers splayed out against his torso. His tongue works expertly along the length, getting Ashton fully hard within seconds. Even though his friends are asleep with music playing in the background, he stifles his moan as Luke swirls his tongue around the tip.

For some reason, Luke is working extra hard and quickly, and Ashton comes within minutes with a guttural moan. Luke pulls away and swallows. "Luke, why did you do that?" Ashton asks, pulling up his swim trunks.

"I wanted to," Luke says simply, already walking off back to their spot on the beach.

Confused, Ashton follows him. Luckily, his friends are still asleep, but there's a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach, and it's not from his orgasm. He doesn't bring it up until later that night, when he asks if anyone wants to go on a walk along the beach with him, and Luke accepts the invitation.

It's even cooler now that it's nighttime, the sun completely gone and the moon high in the sky. The stars aren't out tonight, and it makes Ashton frown. It's the first time this whole vacation where he can't see the stars in all their glory. It's chilly to the point where Ashton has to wear a light jacket to keep him from shivering. Even with the melancholy atmosphere this particular night, the sounds of the waves washing upon shore still keeps Ashton at peace.

"Luke," he says, "what was with that surprise blowjob earlier?"

They take several slow steps before Luke responds. "Today reminded me of what happened a few months ago," he says. "When we first went to the beach together and Michael got sunburned."

Ashton chuckles as he remembers it too. "Yeah, that was funny, wasn't it?"

Luke hums. "You offered to teach me how to swim then, but I declined because I was hard the entire day." He laughs lightheartedly.

Mirroring his laugh, Ashton absentmindedly takes his hand and gives it a light squeeze. "It feels like that happened such a long time ago, even though it's only been a few months."

Luke nods in agreement. Their walk is slow and steady, with their footprints disappearing into the sand as it sinks into itself. They walk along with their fingers intertwined, silent, until Luke blurts, "When do you go home?"

In all honesty, Ashton doesn't know. All he knows is when they first arrived, Calum said they'd be staying for a few months. It's been nearly four. "I don't know," he answers. "I'll have to ask Calum eventually. I'm guessing soon, though."

As soon as the sentence slips out, Ashton's eyes widen in realization. "Are you... are you going to come back with us?"

There's a moment of silence and doubt. Ashton keeps thinking, what other choice does Luke have? They can't just leave him here without an ID or money or  _anything_ except his first name. Hell, he doesn't even have a last name. But even so, if they did take Luke back with them, what could they do? Luke  _still_ doesn't have any proof of existence, and how is he supposed to explain to the department of social security that a star floated down from outer space and turned into a human?

Before Ashton can express his worries, Luke says, "If you and Michael and Calum would not mind, I guess I will go back with you."

All of Ashton's thoughts fly out the window as soon as Luke finishes his words. Without thinking, he throws his arms around Luke. "Of course we wouldn't mind, Luke. You're our friend. We'd be so happy to have you."

Luke stiffens in his embrace but eventually sinks into it. He hesitantly hugs back with the lightest touch, and it makes Ashton start to worry again. "Thank you," he murmurs against Ashton's ear.

Once they return home, Luke heads straight to his room. Calum and Michael are tapping away at their controllers, playing some shooter game that Ashton sucks at. "Calum," he says, "when are we going home?"

"Oh shit," Calum says, pausing the game. "I guess we should talk about that, huh?"

Michael turns to meet Calum's eyes. "Oh yeah, when  _are_ we going home? It's been what, four months?"

"Hey, don't worry guys!" Calum assures. "Three weeks. Sorry, I really should've given you guys a heads up."

Michael scoffs playfully. "It's okay, Cal. We all know how much of an airhead you can be."

Calum frowns and punches him lightly on the arm. Ashton's just glad their physical scuffles have toned down. "Speaking of which, though," Michael says, "what are we gonna do about Luke?"

"We can't leave him here, obviously," Calum says. "We'll just bring him back with us! I can get him an extra ticket no problem."

"Dude, you're forgetting that he literally doesn't exist," Michael says. Calum tilts his head in confusion. "Oh my god, look, Luke is from outer space. He's never existed in the human world. Therefore, he has no birth certificate, no social security number, and what are we supposed to do, keep him in the apartment like a pet? Take him out on walks? Feed him?"

Calum's eyebrows knit together as he frowns. "Shit, yeah. I didn't think of any of that."

Michael sighs. "We can't even get him a plane ticket if he has no info. You know that, right?"

The three of them think in silence, but no matter what, Ashton can't think of anything. They can't outstay their welcome, but they can't just leave Luke here. "Fuck, what are we gonna do?" Calum groans.

"We're gonna sound crazy if we tell people he's from outer space. If only he came down with some proof of existence," Michael says. Letting out another exasperated sigh, he says, "I guess we'll figure it out when the time comes.

When the time comes. Michael's words seem to stick to Ashton's skin.

He turns in early that night. The box and note that Luke came with are still perched on his nightstand, taunting him. For the hell of it, he snatches the box from the nightstand and gives it a hard shake. Still nothing. He tries the lid.

It wiggles. It wiggles a lot, but no matter how hard Ashton pulls, it doesn't come off. He doesn't understand how a lid could be so loose but still not open, as if there is an invisible force holding it closed. At this point, he's not entirely surprised. It's like Luke's entire life is surrounded by some sort of magic. Ashton's pretty sure that by the end of this vacation, he'll believe in it.

With a defeated sigh, he places the box back down. He reads the note again. None of the words have changed, but he reads it again and again, and suddenly, he's hit with a wave of realization. His heart drops into his stomach.

_"Innocence; it demands to be soiled, only to be rediscovered once again."_

_"With this gift, reclaim innocence that has been lost."_

Ashton thinks back. He racks his brain for the memory of Luke lying right next to him with stars in his eyes. Luke had told him his task is undeniably linked to him, but what the hell even is that task? The note is starting to make sense, but only in the slightest bit. Ashton still has no clue what this task is, nor does he know  _why_ it's linked to him.

But there's one thing he's certain about. The 'gift' that the note mentions is not whatever is in the box.

It's Luke. There's no other possibility. There's nothing in the box.

There are conflicting emotions bubbling in Ashton's blood as he tries to fall asleep. Luke is a gift, yes. He's a fucking _blessing_ upon the Earth, but Ashton knows he's so much more than that. Why Luke on this Earth for a task solely having to do with him, he doesn't know. He's just another human. Why would a star manifest into a human for  _him?_

He practically forces his brain to shut off. He contemplates knocking on Luke's door and asking if he can sleep next to him, but he digresses. His uneasy feelings keep him paralyzed in his bed, and needless to say, his sleep is painful without Luke.

-

Ashton starts to get the feeling that something is wrong.

The group has done pretty much every activity there is to do. Hell, they even go to a water park one day. He knows their vacation is coming to an end, and with that, they have to figure out what to do with Luke.

"What time is our flight home?" Michael asks one morning. It's two weeks before their departure.

"Eleven at night, same as when we left home," Calum answers.

They're lounging around the house, with Calum flipping through some kind of cookbook and Michael on his handheld video game console. It's silent, apart from the tapping of the buttons on Michael's game.

The silence is starting to kill Ashton, and then he gets an idea.

"Guys," he speaks up, "can we go out for a sec?"

Calum glances up from his book. "What do you wanna do?"

"I wanna get a photo album and print out all the pictures we took on this trip," Ashton says.

Michael and Calum's faces light up at the suggestion. Calum shuts his book, and Michael closes his game. "I'm down," Michael says. "People may say that photo albums are obsolete, but I say they're still a really good way to keep memories."

Calum nods in agreement. "So, shall we be off?"

Ashton looks to Luke. There's no change in his facial expression, but he nods, which is enough for Ashton. "Let's go then!"

They head to a small establishment on one of the shopping avenues to pick up a random photo album. It has a Key West logo printed across the top with an outline of Florida below it. It's big and thick enough to fit all of the photos they've taken thus far. Calum holds onto it as Michael drives them to their next stop, a pharmacy, where they use the printers to print out all of the precious memories they have stored on their phones.

Luke watches silently as the printer spits out the pictures. Ashton flicks his gaze over to him occasionally but doesn't say anything, and that's when he starts to feel the itch on his skin telling him that something is wrong.

"Luke," he says below a whisper. Blue eyes meet his very briefly.  _Very_ briefly.

Ashton wants to cry right there.

But the printer finishes the last photo and Calum grabs all of them. It's a very in and out thing; once they're done, they leave, and when they get home, Calum is assigned the task of filling the pages of the album.

Luke disappears into his room again. Ashton doesn't follow him. He watches Calum slide each photo into a slot, various scenes of them smiling, acting like their usual, goofy selves. His lips curve into the tiniest smile when he sees the picture Michael took of the four of them sprawled out across the living room floor. He sees Calum frown as he looks at the next picture. "I guess this one printed twice." He flips to the next one, and his frown remains. "What the hell?" Ashton loses count of how many pictures Calum flips through before his black-haired friend is yelling out, "Michael!"

Michael appears from the stairs. "Yeah?"

"Why are there so many copies of this photo?" He holds up one of the copies, and Michael bursts out laughing.

"You told me to print out an extra twenty for you, didn't you?" Michael says. "I was just doing what you asked of me."

Ashton isn't mad, and apparently, neither is Calum. In fact, he swears he can see the slightest blush on his tan friend's face. "Oh, uh, thank you?"

With a wink, Michael retreats back upstairs. "What an idiot," Calum mumbles to himself with the biggest grin on his face.

"A lovable idiot," Ashton adds.

Calum nods. "Yeah. A lovable idiot."

-

That night, Ashton hears his door creak open. He sits up immediately, and his heart lurches forward as he sees a familiar tall figure standing in his doorway. "Luke?

"Ashton," Luke says. "May I come in?"

Ashton nods wordlessly and Luke sits at the edge of his bed. They sit there in silence for a little while before Luke finally speaks. "I am really sorry for being so distant lately."

Ashton isn't mad. He could never be mad at Luke. He's worried, if anything. He's sure Luke has his reasons, and he thinks it's probably the same reasons why the rest of them are stressing out. "It's okay, Luke. If you wanna talk about it, I'm here to listen."

He sees Luke's eyes fall upon the box for a split second. "I want you to know that it is okay if you leave me here."

Though he's already sitting up, Ashton shoots up. "What? No! You know we can't just leave you here! How are you going to live?"

Luke shrugs, making Ashton groan. "See, Luke? You have no idea. I know there are a lot of things to figure out, but there's no way in hell we're leaving without you." He's not even sure if he can believe his own words.

"May I?" Luke motions next to Ashton. He nods, and Luke slips under the covers beside him. "I do not want to be a burden on you and your friends."

Ashton wants to groan again, but he refrains. It's rare that Luke gets emotionally vulnerable like this, since Luke doesn't really show emotion most of the time. "You're not a burden, Luke," he says. "You're starting to sound a lot like me." He chuckles humorlessly. Unsurprisingly, Luke stays silent.

"Ashton, what about you? What are you going to do when you get home?" Luke asks.

Ashton's actually put some thought into it. He thinks that maybe he'll start working again, maybe save up so he can go to school. He doesn't know what for yet, but he's sure he'll figure it out. That's all he's really been doing up until now. Figuring things out. Though there have certainly been bumps in the road, it's been working out so far. If he starts to try to live again, he's sure that it'll work out even better for him.

He wants to. He really wants to.

"I want to do something besides sit on my couch all day," Ashton says. "I don't know exactly what, yet. I like writing, so maybe I'll start journaling or go to school for English. I quit my last job, so I'll have to find another one so I can save up if I do go to school."

Luke hums in acknowledgement. Ashton is unsure if Luke knows what all of that means, but he doesn't ask. "And what about me?" Luke questions.

Ashton answers a little too quickly. "We're figuring it out."

He expects Luke to say something like "what does that mean" or "what if you don't," but he says nothing of the sort. Instead, he rests his head on Ashton's shoulder and wraps an arm around his torso. Ashton slumps into the embrace, sighing.

"Luke," he says finally, "is there something you're not telling me?"

He feels Luke shake his head. "No. I am just worried about how you will manage to take me back home with you." His tone is emotionless as usual. Ashton sort of wishes it wasn't.

He doesn't question him further. Eventually the two nod off to sleep, curled up in each other's arms. Ashton wants to say something the entire way through, but he keeps it in the back of his throat.

It hurts the next morning.

-

Tensions are high on the day before they're supposed to leave.

A lot of the day is spent packing in complete silence. There are small conversations in between that Ashton doesn't bother remembering. Luke sits patiently on Ashton's bed as he packs, most of the stuff he puts away is stuff he doesn't remember bringing. Then again, it was a super last minute trip, and super last minute packing.

Ashton's kept the photo album in his room the whole time, not wanting Calum to misplace it or Michael to somehow destroy it. He places it neatly atop all of his neatly-folded clothes. Luke's knickknacks are tucked away in the suitcase as well, ready for transport.

There's an ache in his chest, and he so desperately wants to say something. He doesn't know what's keeping him back from speaking.

The rest of the day flies by in a blur.

-

That night, Luke comes into Ashton's room and climbs into his bed without saying a word. It scares Ashton, more than the parasailing, rollercoaster, and ziplining combined. He allows it though, because he knows he can't say no to Luke.

"Ashton," Luke says lowly, "it feels like it has been so much longer than four months."

"I know," Ashton replies, his arm falling around Luke's broad shoulders.

"Will you remember this trip?"

Ashton turns his head in Luke's direction even though the blond's head is tucked deeply into the crook of his neck. "For the rest of my life."

"Good."

There's been so much silence lately that Ashton has been wanting to fill, yet he finds himself unable to. He knows deep down that something is off, wrong, even, but he can't bring himself to say it.

Luke lifts himself slightly, sliding on top of Ashton's body and leaning down to press kisses onto his neck. Ashton sighs, his body and mind in a conflict of pleasure and torment. On one hand, he loves the feeling of Luke's warm lips pressed against his neck, tongue flicking over the sensitive skin, and on the other, his gut twists with words that have been left unsaid for too long. He opens his mouth to speak, but Luke cuts him off immediately. "Ashton, I want to show you how much you mean to me."

All coherent words escape Ashton at that very moment. Actually, he can't speak for the next hour, because he makes love to Luke.

Their bodies slide against one another like ocean waves, smooth and perfectly in sync. It's like Ashton's body was made for Luke, and Luke's was made for his. They're two pieces of a puzzle that fit together so snugly that Ashton doesn't want to let go. He never wants to be apart from Luke.

In the back of his head, he thinks that this is making love. He wants to tell Luke about the difference between making love and fucking, but he can't bring himself to say the L word. He doesn't love Luke. Everything in his body is screaming that to him, and he believes it. It leaves him tongue-tied, almost literally, where he can't even say a fucking  _word._ He's never felt so helpless.

Even so, he revels in Luke's presence, inside Luke's body, surrounded by the starboy and all of his celestial beauty. He's a true sight to see when Ashton moves inside him, hooded eyes and open lips, tiny beads of sweat glistening in the moonlight that only seem to add to his radiance. It's something Ashton never wants to forget. Luke is something Ashton never wants to forget.

"Ashton," Luke says breathlessly once they're finished, "you mean the universe to me."

Those are the last words Ashton hears before he falls asleep. He doesn't, he _can't_ respond, because he's sobbing into Luke's chest until he can't anymore, and Luke doesn't say anything else. He doesn't even register when he begins to fall asleep, but it's not important.

What he does remember is the feeling of a chaste kiss against his temple and a shift of the bed.

-

When Ashton wakes up, Luke is gone.

He groans, wishing Luke would stop leaving him whenever he wakes up. He sits up slowly, stretching his arms above his head as his muscles recover from sleep, and he stands up a little too quickly.

He checks the clock; it's nine-thirty. To his surprise, Calum is already awake on his laptop. "Oh, mornin' Ashton," he says. "Where's Luke?"

Ashton's already making his way up the stairs to Luke's room. "Probably in his room."

"He didn't sleep with you last night?" Calum asks.

"He did, but he probably left in the middle of the night or early this morning. He does that almost all the time," Ashton tells him. With a slight hum of acknowledgement from Calum, he climbs the rest of the stairs and knocks on Luke's door.

"Luke?" he calls. There's no response. Confused, he opens the door. It's unlocked, luckily. Luke's room is pristine, bed perfectly made and not a spot in sight. "Luuuke," Ashton tries again, opening the door to his bathroom. There's still no sign of the starboy.

Ashton starts to panic a little as he hurries back downstairs. "Calum, did you see Luke this morning?"

Calum doesn't glance up from his laptop. "Ash, you're the most likely to see Luke in the morning since you two always sleep together."

"Except he's not in his room!" Ashton snaps. He opens the doors to the terrace. Still no Luke. "Fuck, where is he?"

That's when Calum actually looks up and shuts his laptop. "Shit, really?" He rushes over to Ashton's side. "He couldn't have gotten far. Maybe he went for a walk or something?"

A queasy feeling emerges in Ashton's stomach. There are so many possibilities he can think of, but his main priority is finding Luke. He doesn't have time to worry about the specifics. "I'll go wake Michael up," Calum says before disappearing up the stairs.

Ashton checks the ground floor, even in places where Luke wouldn't be able to fit in. Nothing. There's no Luke in his bathroom, the living room, kitchen. He buries his hands in his hair, pulling at it in frustration when his two friends come bounding down the stairs. "We checked everywhere upstairs," Michael says. "He's nowhere to be found."

"Shit," Ashton breathes. He presses his hand to his forehead as he feels a headache coming on. "Fuck, where did he go?"

"You think he went out somewhere?" Calum asks.

"At this point, that's the only reasonable explanation," Michael says. "Maybe he went to the beach? Or the boulevards?"

"We should all look for him," Calum says. "And no, we're not splitting up. I don't care if we'll cover more ground that way. We're not leaving each other, got it?"

Ashton and Michael nod wordlessly, and the three of them get changed within seconds, not even bothering with breakfast. The first place they check is the beach, both the sandy and rocky sides. There's absolutely no one, like usual. If anything, the beach seems even  _more_ empty, even though it's empty all the time.

Calum says it doesn't make sense as to why Luke would go to the shopping boulevards, but they go there anyway. They don't see Luke during the drive there. Luke is tall and broad-shouldered, so Ashton assumes he should be easy to find. Still, as they pace up and down the streets, the tallest person they see is maybe six-two. Not a six-four, curly-haired blond in sight.

At this point, Ashton is speechless with panic. Calum sits with him in the backseat of the car, trying to comfort him by saying things like "we'll find him" and "don't worry," but Ashton doesn't believe a word of it. He doesn't even say anything when Michael pulls up to the farthest places they've been to, the amusement park, the aquarium, the zoo. They don't check inside, since there's no way Luke could have actually got into the establishments, but Luke is nowhere in the surrounding areas.

Michael and Calum stop for a quick lunch because they're hungry. Ashton doesn't stop them. He doesn't even feel like he's panicking anymore. Calum offers him some of his food, to which he declines. He rests his head against the window, watching the scenery zip past him.

"I don't know where else he could be," Michael mumbles.

Calum sighs as he turns to Ashton, who's still sulking against the window. "Ash, I don't know either. But—"

"It's fine," Ashton cuts him off. "It's fine. Wherever he went, he'll come back. I just... wanna go home."

He's not looking at his friends, but he can imagine that Michael looks at Calum through the rearview mirror and Calum shrugs. It's deafeningly silent as they drive back. There isn't even any music playing on the radio.

Michael and Calum walk in the door to their house slowly while Ashton shoves past them and into his room. He slams the door behind him, not caring if it breaks. After all, everything in him feels broken. A door won't make a difference.

He falls to his knees almost instantly at the edge of the bed. Pounding his fists down onto the mattress, he screams agonizingly loud. He knows he probably sounds a lot like Michael, but he can't care in this moment. For some reason he's not crying, even though his throat is itching and his face is numb. He knows he  _wants_ to, but he can't. He doesn't know why.

Some minutes later, Michael and Calum open his door. "Ash?" one of them says. Ashton can't really tell who said it.

He glances up, his eyes swollen from tears. "Yeah."

"W-we were wondering if you'd still wanna have dinner with us," Calum says.

To his own surprise, Ashton stands, albeit a bit shaky. "Yeah."

His friends offer him comforting smiles as they guide him out his room. "Calum's making the same spaghetti he made when we first got here. Since we're leaving in a few hours, there can't be any leftovers, so... we gotta really chow down tonight," Michael says.

Ashton actually smiles.

They watch as Calum expertly chops up everything he needs for the dish. Michael makes small conversation that Ashton half-consciously pitches into. About halfway through Calum's cooking, Ashton's stomach audibly growls, making Michael chuckle. "Should've eaten earlier, mate."

Ashton returns the chuckle. He keeps surprising himself. How is he laughing along, making small talk with his friends like normal when one of the most important people in his life at the moment has gone missing? He hasn't a single clue, but it's shoved so far back in his head that he temporarily forgets about the boy from the stars as he eats dinner with his best friends, feeling on top of the goddamn world.

They scrub the dishes until they're absolutely spotless. The sun has set by the time they're finished. The lights in the kitchen and living room are the only things illuminating the house, although the moon looks particularly bright tonight.

"Video game?" Calum suggests. "It's only eight-thirty. I think we can squeeze in a few rounds."

"You know I'm always down for that," Michael says. "Ash?"

He shakes his head. "Nah, you know I'm no good at those games anyway." He stands up from his seat. "I'm just gonna chill in my room."

Michael and Calum glance at each other nervously. "Okay, but just holler if you need anything," Calum says hesitantly.

With a salute, Ashton retreats to his room. He switches on the light and plops down onto the bed. His body is exhausted, but his mind is racing once again with all the possibilities of what might have happened to Luke, where he might have gone. He wants to believe in the notion that Luke will come back, but then he remembers, they're leaving for the airport in a little over an hour, and he's struck with the realization that Luke is  _staying here._

With a groan of frustration, he grabs the nearest pillow and hurls it at the wall (luckily it doesn't break anything). He wants to see Luke at least once before they leave, but he has a feeling it's not going to happen. He hopes that maybe Luke found another place to stay. Whatever the case, he just hopes Luke is safe, wherever he is.

He sighs in defeat as he stands up to retrieve the pillow, only to glance upon the wooden box still placed on his nightstand. The note rests directly beneath it. With a frown, he picks both items up and stares at them for a solid ten seconds before dropping the box onto his bed and tearing the note to shreds. He rips and rips until they're nothing but tiny bits of meaningless text, and before he knows it, he's falling back onto his bed, hands pressed into his head.

He looks to his left, where he threw the box, and gasps when he sees that the lid has come completely off. The box's contents have spilled out onto the sheets. From what Ashton can see, it's two pieces of paper and something shiny.

He picks up the sheets of paper. One looks to be a letter. The other looks to be a children's drawing.

Curious, he reads the letter first, as the neatly-written script catches his eye.

_Liz,_

_How are you sweetheart? I’m so sorry your father and I couldn’t make it to the memorial service. Our flight was cancelled and we were unable to book another one on such short notice. I promise we will come visit you as soon as we can. I know things must be tough for you right now, but you are strong, and you will get through this. Your father and I will be with you every step of the way._

_I don’t know if you would like me to get rid of the clothes we bought for the little one. We can donate them, I’m sure it would be much appreciated. Jack gave me a drawing of what he thought Lucas would look like. He even wrote his name out and everything. If you’d like, I can give it back to him, or I can throw it away._

_If I’m being honest, I would like to hold onto it. I know it may be too painful for you to keep, but I think it is important for someone to keep it. I promise I will take care of it, but if me keeping any of these things goes against your wishes, I will get rid of them at once._

_This is just another bump in the road, my dear. You are one of the strongest people I have ever known, and I have every privilege in the universe to call you my daughter. I am certain that you would have raised Lucas to be just as strong as you. He is surely watching from the stars._

_I hope this letter gets to you safely. Please remember that I am just one letter or phone call away._

_Love,_

_Mom_

At first, Ashton is confused, but the panic resurfaces as his eyes fall upon the drawing. There are five people scribbled in crayon in the drawing, each poorly-written labels of the names. Mom, Dad, Jack, Ben, and Lucas. According to the letter he'd just read, Jack is presumably the illustrator of this drawing. All of them are drawn with a black outline, two blue dots for eyes and a squiggly mess of yellow hair. The two figures labeled 'Mom' and 'Dad' are drawn almost ten times larger than the kids, labeled Jack and Ben, and at the very right of the drawing is the tiniest figure out of all of them, labeled Lucas. Though it's a sloppy child's drawing, he recognizes the penmanship.

The messy scrawl of Lucas's name is the same one printed at the bottom of the note, which is now torn to shreds.

"Fuck," Ashton mutters to himself. "Fuck fuck fuck." He scrambles to pick up the shiny item still on his bed, which turns out to be a singular charm, perhaps for a necklace or bracelet. It's a red gem encased in a circular silver shell. On the back of the silver is a cursive L.

"No," Ashton breathes. "No, no, this isn't... fuck. Fuck."

As soon as he stands, the letter, drawing, and charm in hand, he hears a screech of his name. Not wasting any time, he busts out of his room, where Michael and Calum are already standing, panting. "What's going on?" he asks frantically.

"It's Luke!" Calum exclaims. "He's on the hill! We saw him from the balcony!"

"Shit!" Ashton's sure his legs have never moved so quickly. He slips on a pair of sandals and immediately storms out the front door, running as fast as his two legs can carry him. He hears the thudding footsteps of his two friends behind him.

"Ash, what's going on?" Calum calls out. "What are those?"

Ashton assumes he's referring to the items in his hands. "The box opened. These were inside," he pants.

"Holy fuck," Calum says.

Ashton doesn't have time to explain in depth, nor does he know how. His head is dizzy from everything going on in his brain plus the running. Though there are ideas forming in his head, he still doesn't understand how  _any_ of this could have happened.

He hopes Luke has the answers.

They practically skid to a stop once they reach the hill. "Luke!" is the first thing out of Ashton's mouth.

It's the most familiar sight, one that Ashton remembers well. Luke standing directly below the stars, gazing up at them, the bright moon's glare casting a shadow right beside him. He's even dressed the same, shirtless, in the same gray pants, torn at the calves. He has no clue how Luke got ahold of them again, but that's the last thing on his mind. He wants to run up to him and give him the biggest bear hug he's ever given anybody and tell him how much of an idiot he is for leaving them, but the sight is so familiar. The scene is  _too_ familiar.

Unintentionally, he mimics it. He takes slow, cautious steps towards the starboy. "Luke."

Luke turns to him. Familiar. The only difference is that Luke isn't a stranger anymore. "Hi, Ashton."

"Luke, where the hell have you been?" he asks worriedly.

Luke is about to answer when his eyes fall to the contents in Ashton's hands. "I see the box opened."

Ashton's mouth drops. "You... you  _knew?"_

"I figured it out," Luke says, one of the corners of his mouth curving slightly. "I figured it all out."

"Luke," Ashton says, trying to choose his words carefully. He holds up the letter. "What does this mean?"

"I guess it is time for an explanation," Luke says. He turns to the side, unable to meet Ashton's eyes, even though Ashton would like nothing more than for Luke to just  _look_ at him. "Today was the day I realized the task I was meant to fulfill. It was very early in the morning while you were still asleep. Somehow, I opened the box and discovered its contents, and... well, I put together the pieces from there."

Ashton silently begs for Luke to look at him, but the starboy continues. "I read the letter. I read the note, looked at the drawing, the charm, and I remembered everything."

"Remembered?" Ashton says. "B-but you came down here with no memories!"

"I know," Luke says. "For a lack of better words, I 'remembered' things. Though I cannot remember what my mother or any of my family looked like, I remembered that the charm was something my grandmother had custom-made to celebrate my birth. It's a ruby, the gemstone of Cancer."

Ashton glances down at the charm he has clutched in his hand. It's left a circular imprint on his palm from how hard he's been holding it. "When I realized everything, I took off. I... I could not bear it," Luke continues. Ashton can't help but notice how different Luke sounds. There's emotion. There's pain.

It's so  _human._

"I am sorry for worrying you all, but where I went is not of any importance now," Luke says. "After all, my time here on Earth has come to an end."

Ashton hears Michael and Calum gasp from behind him.  _"No!"_ he exclaims. It echoes around them, and quite frankly, he doesn't care if the neighbors hear. "No, Luke, you're human! You... you're alive! You  _belong_ here, remember?"

With a painful laugh, Luke glances up, still not meeting Ashton's eyes. "No, Ashton. I never belonged here. In fact, I was never alive."

Ashton wants to say something. He wants to say  _everything._ He wants to tell Luke that he doesn't care, that Luke  _is_ alive right here and now, that he's beautiful and loved and means so much to the universe.  _His_ universe. But then Luke is speaking again, stripping him of every opportunity he has to speak his mind. "I am a life that never got to be lived."

"Luke, what are you talking about?" Michael asks, stepping forward to stand next to Ashton with Calum following suit. "Ash, what's going on?"

Ashton hands the letter to Michael, his eyes still fixed on Luke. "Luke..." All words escape him. It's almost like they vanish from existence itself, and now he can't even form coherent sentences. "You... you're alive."

Luke chuckles. "I guess you could say I  _am,_ currently. Not for much longer, though."

Ashton shakes his head violently. "Luke, you're fucking  _alive!_ You're right in front of me, you're—"

"Ashton," Luke cuts him off firmly. "You read the letter, right?" Ashton nods slowly. "Then you know that I was never born. I died before I got to live."

"Fuck," Calum mumbles from beside him. "Ash, is this real?" He holds the paper back out to him, but Ashton is frozen in place, unable to reach out and take the paper back. It's not like he wants it back anyway. For a piece of paper, it weighs a thousand pounds.

Luke's head tilts upwards as he lets out a heavy sigh. "It's sad that my family will never get to know what I looked like."

Ashton feels like his heart snaps in two. It's thumping loudly in his chest, crawling up to his throat. "July sixteenth. That was the day I was supposed to be born," Luke says. "Isn't it cruel how the universe placed me in a constellation of the zodiac for a day that never came?"

 _Yes,_ Ashton thinks, hoping his words somehow get through to Luke. Suddenly, there's a light, and Ashton's eyes widen in even more panic as he realizes the light is coming from Luke. It's a speckle of light, tiny but  _there._ It floats upwards from Luke's feet into the air, and it vanishes just as quickly as it appeared. "I do not have much longer, Ashton."

"No!" Ashton screams as he lunges forward, but then there's a scorching heat that nearly forces him back. He hisses in pain as he stumbles backwards, the heat sizzling on his skin. Luckily, the pain dissipates quickly, but Ashton is sure he would be burned alive if he stood in its presence for more than a few seconds. "Luke, what—"

"It is okay, Ashton," Luke says. Another glowing orb floats up from his feet, this time, it's bigger and brighter. "I am grateful to have lived at all."

"Luke, you can't leave!" Ashton cries out, attempting to charge back into the heat, only to be restrained by his two friends.

"Ashton, stop!" Calum exclaims.

"But  _Luke!"_

"The task I was meant to fulfill, it was for  _you,_ Ashton," Luke says. "You are so much more than what you think you are. You have shown me an entire lifetime in a four-month span, and I cannot thank you enough for giving me a life that was worth living."

"Luke, I don't—I don't understand!" There are tears flooding down Ashton's face now, each one stinging and burning him more than the intense heat surrounding Luke ever could. "Why me? Why did you live  _for me?"_

"If I am being honest, I don't know exactly," Luke says. "The universe is cruel in a lot of ways, but I am glad it brought me to you, even if it was for a short while."

Ashton feels his knees starting to go weak. Everything inside him is breaking and thriving at the same time. Again, he finds himself at a loss for words. "You are alive, Ashton," Luke tells him. More and more lights begin to appear, this time, from everywhere on Luke's body. They flutter into the air, but not all of them disappear. "I need you to remember that." They get larger in size, brighter in intensity. It's strange, how the lights are starting to get so bright that Ashton thinks he should squint, but he doesn't. It's the most comforting, delicate blinding light Ashton's ever witnessed. "I would have loved to live out the rest of your days with you," Luke says, his voice beginning to waver, almost echoing in Ashton's ears. "But... I was never meant to live. That is what the universe decided."

_Salvage what is left._

"Luke,  _please,_ I can't... you have no idea how much you mean to me! To us!" Ashton knows he's sobbing like a child now, but he can't stop it. Everything is tumbling out of him at once. "Without you, I don't—I don't know what I'll do!"

"You told me," Luke says. "You told me you would start working again and go to school for English. So, do just that."

A thousand knives are plunging into Ashton's heart, at least, that's how he feels. "Luke, I can't—" He can't even finish the sentence. His voice has gone dry.

"You can. And you will," Luke says, and he finally looks at Ashton, blue eyes brighter than anything Ashton has ever seen. The white lights surrounding Luke have increased in number to the point where his body is almost entirely shrouded by them. Ashton wants nothing more than to break past the heat and get one last good look at the galaxy in Luke's eyes, brighter than a supernova and more radiant than the northern lights, but the heat and the threatening lights are becoming more intense to the point where Ashton wants to close his eyes. He forces them to stay open, as much as he doesn't want to watch Luke leave.

Luke smiles. It's different from any other smile Ashton's seen from him. He sees everything all at once, pain, longing, and comfort all in one. But most of all, it's one of reassurance and confidence that sends Ashton's heart soaring into the unknown. "You know that I will always be with you. If you ever need me, just look up."

And that's when the pain gets unbearable. Ashton's eyes squeeze shut as the heat causes all three of them to fall backwards. The flash of the bright light lingers in Ashton's closed-off vision for a short second, and when he opens his eyes, a trail of flickering specks of light flutter into the air and disappear, leaving nothing in its wake.

Luke is gone. And not just from Ashton's bed this time.

Ashton is pretty sure he's not breathing anymore. He doesn't move, doesn't speak a word. He just remains kneeling on the grass, his knees digging into the dirt, mouth agape and face soaked in tears.

"Ash..." Michael says, his hand still resting comfortably on Ashton's shoulder.

It all comes crashing down then and there. Ashton falls forward and screams louder than he's ever screamed before. He doesn't care if his face is full of dirt and grass. His fingers curl into the earth, wishing it was Luke he was holding onto. "It's not fair! It's not  _fucking fair!"_

It's not. Like Luke had said, the universe is cruel in a lot of ways.

Michael and Calum let Ashton cry. It takes a while for Ashton to pick himself off the ground, but he does have to remind himself that they have a plane to catch, that they have to home and leave the house and Florida and  _Luke_ behind.

Ashton's mind enters a haze from that point on. He's not sure when they get to the airport, board the plane, land, and get back to his apartment. He's pretty sure all of that happens, but then again, he can't really tell anymore.

He's not even sure if Luke is, or  _was,_ real anymore.

-

Understandably so, Michael and Calum are concerned again. They stay in Ashton's apartment, knowing that their friend is in a tornado of all sorts of dangerous thoughts. All they can really do is pray that he comes out of his bedroom. They knock and ask him if he's okay, and most of the time he manages a groan and sometimes a "yes." They bring him food, most of which Calum cooks, and sometimes he eats.

Three days pass. They take turns going out to buy groceries or to check up on their own places, always wanting to make sure one of them is in the house with Ashton at all times. Michael has  _Seinfeld_ playing on the TV when Calum returns from shopping. "Anything?"

"Nope," Michael responds. "I'm just glad he's eating and somewhat communicating."

Calum sets the groceries down on the kitchen table as Michael stands up to help him with them. "I'm sure he'll come around eventually," Michael adds.

"Yeah," Calum agrees. "And I'm not leaving this damn place until he does."

Michael nods firmly. "After losing someone like Luke, I'm surprised he's not even more wrecked. You could tell how important Luke was to him."

"Luke changed him," Calum says. "I'm sure of it. I think... I think that was his task."

"To change Ashton?" Michael asks.

Calum shakes his head. "Well, not exactly. I think that Ashton was in a really bad place, y'know? Like... we were really worried that he was gonna kill himself here." He pauses and winces. "If you think about the note that came with Luke, it kinda makes sense. The whole thing about 'innocence,' I think, was talking about Ashton's happiness."

"You think?" Michael questions.

"While innocence isn't the same thing as happiness, I think that there was so much shit that happened in Ash's life that made him forget what life was like before all of that," Calum explains. "And... I think Luke was there to remind him that innocence and simplicity in life are things that never really go away."

Michael hums, thinking. They unpack the groceries in silence, until he says, "Luke really is one of the best things that happened to Ashton." Calum wholeheartedly agrees.

-

It's nighttime, and they're settled onto Ashton's sofa watching  _Friends_ when all of a sudden, Ashton's bedroom door swings open. Michael and Calum stand up immediately. "Ash?" Calum says hesitantly. Michael is quick to flip on the light switch.

Ashton looks like death. It's no surprise, though, since he's been cooped up in his room for the past three days. There are heavy bags under his eyes and he smells a bit, his hair disheveled and skin pale. He's grasping a book in his hand when he looks up at his friends, his eyes glassy with unborn tears. His eyes flick between them, and all they can do is await some sort of explanation.

That's when Calum glances down and realizes the book he's holding is the photo album. The one with Key West written across the top that holds all sorts of memories from their trip.

"Luke was real, wasn't he?"

Calum steps forward instinctively, as does Michael, and they catch Ashton as he falls to his knees. "He was real. He really was real," he sobs.

"Yeah. Yes, he was," Calum says, his heart hurting for his friend. He pets Ashton's hair and holds him close to his chest, letting his tears soak into his shirt. "Luke was most definitely real."

"I almost forgot him, Cal," Ashton says, his voice weak. "I couldn't believe it, I f-felt like I couldn't trust my mind anymore. It was like nothing made sense, nothing was real, a-and then I saw the photo album sticking out of my suitcase, and—" He lets out another sob.

"It's okay, Ash," Michael assures, rubbing circles into his back.

"He was alive," Ashton murmurs. "He existed. He was real."

Calum nods. "Yes, Ashton. He was real. The photos in there are proof of that."

Ashton chokes out another strangled sob, and his friends guide him back to his bed. He asks them to stay with him, and they're quick to comply. They hold Ashton, stroke his hair, hug him close, do anything to make him feel warm again because they love him. They want nothing but the universe for him, and they're sure Ashton feels the same way about them.

*~*

"Calum, you know I can't go out tonight!" Ashton shouts into his phone.

"Come on, dude," Calum begs, "It's your fucking birthday! You need to stop burying your nose in textbooks all the time and have some fun."

Ashton groans, glancing down at the various papers scattered along his desk. He  _could_ put off writing his essay for a night. He's made some really good progress on it, after all, and it's the only major thing he has due this week. Plus, Calum raises the good point of  _it's his fucking birthday._

"Fine," he says.

"Yay! Mikey and I are gonna pick you up in an hour, 'kay?"

With a chuckle, Ashton agrees and hangs up. He sighs as he swivels his chair out from under his desk and stands up to get ready. He's quick to shower and pick out a swanky outfit for a night out on the town, and he has to admit, he  _does_ look pretty dashing. Though it's not something he would normally buy, he's glad that Calum had bought him this purple checkered blazer that he's gotten countless compliments on. He smirks to himself as he runs a greased-up hand through his hair, slicking it back slightly.

He spritzes a bit of cologne on his wrist and waltzes out of his bathroom. He checks his phone for the time and sees a text from Calum that says,  _five minutes!_

Locking his phone and shoving it into his pocket, he gazes around his bedroom. He can't believe decorations actually helped liven up the place. As soon as he decided to decorate it, he felt an instant relief of sorts, and once he started, he couldn't stop. All sorts of houseplants and posters adorn the whole room, from the walls to the desk to the shelves he had installed. Though it was difficult to find inspiration in the beginning, little by little, the place started to feel much more like home.

He had even invested in a Polaroid camera so he could take pictures for the pinup billboard on his wall right above the bed. There are several photos on it already, and Ashton thinks he should probably get a new one as they're starting to spill over the borders. A lot of the pictures are of him and his friends, old and new, acting like idiots in various locations across town.

There's another picture board in his room that he keeps directly next to his bed, and that's the one thing in the entire room that Ashton holds dearest to him. They're vibrant, colorful pictures printed in ink from a pharmacy back in Key West, Florida, of him, Michael, Calum, and a certain somebody named Luke.

Ashton places his hand next to the board as his eyes fall over each picture. "You always said you belonged up high," he murmurs, running his thumb along the photo of Luke smiling widely in the sky. He laughs to himself as he finds the picture of the four of them, grinning drunkenly (even though they hadn't actually been drunk) on the living room floor. He wonders if Calum still has the extra twenty copies Michael had printed out for him.

Then he finds the photo of himself with an enormous blue-winged butterfly perched atop the tip of his nose. He looks kind of ridiculous, with his eyes squinted shut and smile wide like an idiot, but it's  _genuine._

"You know, thanks to you, I can smile like that almost all the time now," Ashton says. There are several other pictures, from the night Luke got drunk for the first time to when Calum was super excited about going to a normal, everyday park just because there was a fountain. All of them bring a smile to Ashton's face. They never fail to.

He sighs. "To think it's been almost a year since then." He takes another look around his bedroom. "I even got a new couch, can you believe it?"

(And he did, actually. He got rid of his beat up, ugly murky green sofa and invested in a brand new suede sectional for whenever Michael and Calum come over to watch movies or play video games. After all, there's only so much space for three grown men on a nasty, heavily-used sofa).

There's a loud knock at his door and an obnoxious voice calling his name. "Coming!" he shouts back.

When he opens the door, Michael and Calum are there dressed in their 'nightclub attire,' (as Calum likes to put it) with pink party hats strapped to their heads. "Happy birthday!" they cheer in sync.

"You fucking idiots," Ashton says as he falls into a group hug with them. "Really? Party hats?"

Michael shrugs. "You're never too old for a party hat." They pull away and remove their hats, making Ashton chuckle. "Ready to go?"

"Of course," Ashton says, and he steps out of his apartment and into the cool summer night air. He glances up at the sky, where the stars twinkle magnificently. He loves nights like these, where the stars are visible and not a cloud is in sight. This way, he can see Luke.

He doesn't know which one is Luke, but he doesn't need to know. As long as Luke is above him, clear as day even in his fucked up vision, he's happy.

Really, he's happy.

That night, he makes a toast to life. He almost says Luke, but he catches himself. The rest of his friends don't notice, but he sees the way Michael and Calum smirk at him. He gets an over-the-top cake, courtesy of Calum, and eats so much that he feels like he's going to explode, but it's Calum's treat so he figures he'll take full advantage of it.

He tells his friends that he'll be back in a bit, that he needs a bit of a breather, but in reality, he wants to look up at the sky some more.

"So, uh," he begins, glancing around to check his surroundings. Good thing no one's around. "I just want to say thank you, y'know, for getting me here. I feel like I couldn't have done any of this without you. And, like, I don't know if you've been watching me this entire time, but I'm in school now, actually. I reconnected with Mom and she helped me pay for tuition. I was honestly really surprised when she was so willing to let me back into the family, but I realized that I was the one who pushed them away in the first place. And... ever since that happened, things have only gotten better."

"I won't go into detail about everything that's happened, since I'm pretty sure you've been watching me this entire time. But, um, I just... I hope you're doing well up there in Praesepe. Being a star must be pretty weird. I mean, I don't know how a ball of gas can really get any entertainment, but I still hope you're doing well. I know I am."

His eyes glide along the entire night sky, falling upon every single star. "I don't know which one is you, or if you're even visible to me right now, but I know you're up there. I'm doing good, Luke. I'm so happy now, and I owe it all to you."

With a heavy-hearted sigh, he smiles. He heads back inside the venue to finish up the celebrations, but all he can really think about is getting back out there just so he can stargaze again.

Ashton knows the universe is cruel in so many ways, but maybe it has its own little ways of trying to make up for its mistakes. With a lot of heartache, loss, and tragedy came happiness and rediscovered innocence. Ashton thanks the universe for causing him the greatest pain and the greatest joy he's ever had in his life. Though he wishes he could experience it in its entirety with Luke by his side, he's glad to know that Luke did, no,  _does_ exist, somewhere in the universe.

He hopes he'll get to see Luke again someday. Until then, he'll remember the way the stars seem to glimmer for him, how Luke's eyes spelled out an entire galaxy, and how the starboy landed in his hands and changed his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so for those who might not understand, luke was miscarried.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thank you for all the kudos and comments, and the amazing fanart. I love you all! If you'd like, you can check out my other fics that i'm currently working on. I have a porn AU, a high school AU, and an incubus!luke fic (that one's a little disturbing though) if you'd like to give them a read!


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